The Legend of Spyro: Sins of the Past
by Mkananoja
Summary: Dark Master is finaly defeaded and Spyro, Cynder and Sparx sighs from relief but their time of being hero haven't left their lifes just yet as the dark past may come reality once more and may risk everything they keep dear.
1. Chapter 1: End of Darkness

This small piece of Fanfiction takes place after third now bublished TLoS Dawn of the Dragon game, right after Dark master Malefor is finaly defeaded.

be warnned thought... this fanfiction has been made several moths before Dawn of the Dragon came to stores so this story has few major dillemas with it.

New characters are shown throught the story and Events takes place in unseen part of TLoS world.  
Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

World of TLoS and all characters in it belongs to Universtal  
This fanfic itself belongs to me

Im not that good presenting something I have made but I hope that wont ruin your pleasure of enjoying this small story.  
be warned, this story contains alot of typos, grammar mistakes and other unpleasant stuff like that, but if you find any of them what you find disburding and need fixin please tell me. I need more practise anyway.

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**Chapter 1 – End of darkness**

And so gigantic body of master of darkness fell hard on the surface of floating island shattering weakening convexityaltar into pieces with his demonic tail. Ground shook violently under Spyro's feet and made him lose balance, as Cynder's alike. Truly ground didn't shake that much that they both would have fell on ground but the hard and long battle against the dark master both on Dragonrealm as in this uncharted plane know only as convexity, has taken most, if not all of their energy. Barely still conscious, both heavily panting, badly bruised, open claw wounds on back and blood almost everywhere. Ripped pieces of what used to be armorplate here and there. The battle was over, war behind, yet darkness is still increasing as the covexitybeam lighting the area with purple light, still connecting these two planes weakened. Dark master shivered, unable to move an inch, started speaking with low tune towards two heroes

"So... this is what dying means... weaker than hatchling... unable to think..." he paused and couched some blood out of his mouth. Spyro and Cynder alerted to the fact that demonic dragon ain't dead yet. Preparing themselves to fight once more which they would not be able to do.

"Fear not... this battle has ended... I have failed... Myself.... Revenge what I oath to myself.... Ever happened...". Dark figure said slowly. Cynder tried to stand up regardless of the burden of battle but fell on ground again. Spyro looked dark master and noticed that his dark skin ain't that dark any more than moment ago, still changing slowly to deep purple colour.

"I failed... I... I didn't... Want this to end....Like this... Ever wanted..."

"So you have failed your goal to destroy the dragons... You sho--" Cynder said angry and still panting but was interrupted by dark master.

"No... I never seek total... Total annihilation of kin of dragon... I would have started new age... The new era of dragons... And... And I would have been... father to all..." Spyro raised his head a little ignoring the pain caused by ruthless battle and looked towards Cynder and back to dark master.

"A father to all... yes... no... you must leave... now... all of you... before dragons... have no... no future to be written..." and so what used to be master of darkness... now just huge purple dragon like Spyro, just lied down... motionless...

"Are you still alive? Spyro?" Sparx said hasty and worried, tears in his eye as he flew next to Spyro from behind few rocks where he had been hiding almost the whole battle on this plane.

"I believe I still am... unless dead can have this much of pain... ow..." Spyro replied and laid his head back on ground.

"YOU STUPID STUPID PURPLE WEIGHT ISSUED FLYING FREAK!! don't ever do that to me again! Ever! I... I thought he was going to kill you! Literally!" Sparx yelled right at to Spyro's face.

"Well he ain't much of threat any more... Cynder, you're okay?"

"I think I am..." Cynder replied to Spyro and tried to get up again, succeeding this time.

"Well you surely don't look well" said Spyro with little worry in his face.

"Well you don't look so healthy either... get up Spyro" Cynder said while walking slowly towards him.

"I know I ask much but we should really really really consider leaving this place... like now. no... sooner than now." Sparx said while he tried to pull Spyro's horn like it would do any help getting Spyro up.

"You're right... hnnnnggghhh..." Spyro got up sitting and finally standing.... weaving side to side, trying to keep balance.

"But how are we going to get back... gate we used was closed long ago" Cynder said while looking around a way how to get away this plane. Spyro looked as well around and his eyes locked onto weak and still weakening convexitybeam which used to go through altar.

"That way... the beam... it still connects this world and ours... surely there has to be an other gate in the end of that beam."

"Oh no... no no nononono no... you surely remember last time you got sucked by that beam. It was this... I mean this close that you've jumped on me" Sparx said worried and showing imaginary distance between his fingers.

"I know, but it is only way out... and this time it's weak... and dark master is gone as well. We must go that way."

"He's right Sparx" Cynder said to Sparx "I don't like the idea either but that is only way and we're running out of time. Can you walk?"

"Barely... fly... no..." Spyro said shivering every time he laid his weight on left leg

"We don't have to... its free-fall. Come on!" Cynder said and moved next to Spyro giving him extra balance as he could lean on Cynder a bit.

"Come on people... We need to go faster if we're ever to get out in time! beam is almost gone now!" Sparx said pointing towards the beam. Spyro and Cynder started to move a bit faster towards hole where beam came trough. Spyro's pain increased with every step he took .

"I think I'm going to pass out... I cant see anything..." Spyro said heavily panting, head down.

"Stay with me Spyro! We're almost there. Just a few more steps!" Cynder said. They reached the edge of the hole and stopped.

"Why we stopped?" Spyro asked unable to see clearly.

"It's time. Sparx grab on me! Hold tight!"

"not a change doomgirl." Sparx said with discuss.

"Grab on me now!" Cynder yelled and took Spyro into hug so they could not be separated during the fall.

"Ok ok geez..." Sparx barely got a grip on her tail when Cynder started already to lean over hole pulling Spyro along with her.

"Aaaaaaaaaahaaaahaaaaaaaaaa!! Momyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!" Sparx yelled while the speed of their fall increased. Spyro fell unconscious as the pain got too great for him to bear so everything was on Cynder's hand now. She squeezed Spyro as hard as she could at her current state and looked down towards the end of the beam, a small but definitely a gate was still far away. Cynder tried to make more aerodynamic position to increase the speed even futher but then beam vanished and gate started to close.

"Oh no..."


	2. Chapter 2 : Fall from heavens

Chapter 2 – Fall from heavens

"Oh no..."

Portal was closing and Cynder, Spyro and Sparx where still far away.

"Not now! Please do not close!" Cynder shouted with tears in her eyes. They fell like giant arrow with enormous speed yet they would never make trough gate in time. She tried everything to become more aerodynamic and increase the speed even futher but with little effect.

"Im slippiiiing!! " Sparx yelled terrified behind Cynder while losing his grip on her tail "AAAaaaaa!!!" Cynder started to yell desperately tears pouring out from her eyes. For some reason gate stopped closing briefly, almost like something or someone still tried to keep it open but Cynder was too desperate to pay any attention to this as she had only one thing in her mind – Must get Spyro to safety.

They slipped into gate and just before it closed behind them they heard whispering sound, yet what sounded like if it was far away.

"Future of the dragons will be written..." Heroes emerged an other side of the gate moments before gate vanished and Cynder could not believe her eyes... they made it trought the gate somehow and entered far above clouds which covered most of the sky and far away in cloudless sky, blue ocean could be seen, reflecting sun's brightness. Sky was bright, deep blue, and sun shoun behind them. Clouds looked soft and were white as the snow.

"So beautiful..." Cynder whispered to herself while tears still poured from her eyes.

"CYNDEEEEEER!!!" Sparx yelled still terrified and Cynder jumped out from her thoughts and realized that they where still falling down like rock. She spread her wings carefully and felt air catch the wings, decreasing their speed and she started to feel Spyro's weight between her arms.

"Spyro? Are you ok? Spyro?" She asked briefly while trying to slow them down but got worried when Spyro didn't answer. Cynder looked at him and realised that Spyro had passed out.

"Spyro? Hang on Spyro! We'll be soon safe, Sparx you're ok?"

"ok? I am NOT ok! What was that all about? You almost made me lose my grip! You almost left me behind!" Sparx yelled after he got better grip, clearly not knowing how close their escape had actually been. "At least we got out of there, can you see place where to land anywhere?" Cynder asked ignoring Sparx negative attitude.

"No. It's too bright to me. Spyro, you see anything? Spyro? Buddy?" Sparx asked and got worried

"He's unconscious"

"Well that's just great, leaving me hang around with evil she-dragon, that's just like him. How you plan to land now? I hardly believe you're in that good shape."

"I'll figure something out"

"You better do"

Clouds came closer and swallowed them within. Cynder felt air humidity and how drips started to form around her skin. As they came through clouds, drips were all over Spyro and her and they reflected sun light in all rainbow colours. Almost like diamonds would be part of them.

"Hrrrrrr.... cold." Sparx shivered, covered by drips as well.

"at least we're above land" Cynder said hoping they would find a good place to land. Cynder could see huge land with green forests, great plains, small mountains not far away, few long blue rivers and huge swamp just under them.

"you're not actually planning to land over this swamp do you?" Sparx said, knowing that she would.

"I can't get us anywhere else... I'm too tired" She said.

"we're also kinda going a bit too fast. Slow down."

"I'm trying" Cynder said starting to pant a bit and trying to spread her wings futher but extraweight made this difficult

"try harder!"

They were reaching swamps fast and Cynder could now separate huge mushroom out of each other. She was still looking around to find the safest place to do rough landing but there weren't. Cynder noticed long, corridor looking mushroom -formation which looked the best place to come down.

She started to lean towards mushroom corridor and prepared for rough landing.

"you're going in too fast! I'm off!" Sparx said and loosened his grip from Cynder's tail. Cynder turned upside down in order to take impact to herself and to ensure safer landing for Spyro. Her back hit to the ground hard and even ground was wet and soft it felt like hitting directly into a stone. She and Spyro started to roll on the ground and Cynder lost his grip on Spyro, sending her back into air uncontrolled. Cynder soon hit ground again with her back and crashed into huge mushroom's stem. Spyro still rolled sideways slowly and stopped few meters away from Cynder and was mostly unharmed by hard land. Cynder on the other hand got hard beating and she thought she broke her leg as the pain in her leg is intense. Sparx made it safely and puzzled around Spyro and was worried about his well-being. Being relieved that Spyro was unharmed by his landing he flew over to Cynder.

"Are you okay Cynder?"

"It hurts! My leg, it hurts!" Cynder shouted with tear in her eye.


	3. Chapter 3: 1st Day in mushroom swamp

Chapter 3 – 1st Day in mushroom swamp

"It hurts! My leg, it hurts!" Cynder shouted with tear in her eye. Sparx moved backwards a bit covering his head with arms.

"Calm down! Take a deep breath an--"

"Do something!" Cynder interrupted Sparx. He started to buzz around Cynder looking surrounding area thinking hard what to do. He flew back to Spyro, slapped him to face few times and twitch his horn.

"Wake up Spyro! C'mon! Doomgirl is hurt!" but Spyro remained unconscious.

"Dammit Spyro wake up already! Looks like it's up to me now eh..." Sparx said to himself. He flew back to Cynder who has moved into partially fetal position.

"Take it easy, lie down and rest a bit ok? I'll try to think something out." Sparx said to comfort Cynder a bit

"Hurry" Cynder whispered with tear in her eye. Sparx flew off and started to explore area a bit.

"Cold cold cold, something cold... If only Hunter was here, he would know what to do." Sparx repeated to himself still thinking hard. He came to small pond not far away from Crash site. He tore one leaf out from leafy bushes and dropped it into pond and took it back up with small amount water on it. Suddenly Sparx saw something flash in corner of his eye. He dropped leave and look over where he trought he saw something move but didn't see anything. 'Just breeze moving small plants a bit', he thought. Sparx took leave into pond again and started to carry it back to Cynder.

"This will help" Sparx said and flew above Cynder's left leg and poured water on huge bruise which made Cynder shiver a bit, Sparx placed cool leave carefully on bruise afterwards.

"Any better?"

"A bit" Cynder said and opened her eyes

"I'll get some more. Stay still." Sparx buzzed away again. Cynder raised her head a bit and looked around. At the moment she saw Spyro she got worried and forgot her broken leg and tried to get up. At the moment Cynder moved her left leg the pain reminded her why she was lying down.

"Ahh!" She screamed briefly, dropping herself back on soil, but started crawl to Spyro trying to ignore pain in her leg as best she could. Sparx flew back carrying another watered leaf but stopped few meters away wondering what Cynder where up to this time. Not knowing Sparx presence Cynder crawled front of Spyro

"Spyro? Please wake up Spyro." Cynder whispered to Spyro, staring at his closed eyes hoping he would open them for her but Spyro remained blind to the world.

"I want you to be awake when I say this. I... I like you... No.... More than that. I--"

"Ahem!" Sparx interrupted rudely, knowing where things where going. "Have you seen a black and evil she-dragon lately, the one who I told to stay still over THERE?" Sparx said loudly and pointing with his eyes where Cynder where before he left. Cynder showed murderous look on Sparx.

"Just leave me alone!" Cynder shouted and turned her attention back on Spyro.

"Well excuse me doomgirl, but I am trying to help you!" Sparx said becoming more frustrated. Cynder calmed down as she realised that even if Sparx didn't like her being around and even less being around Spyro, he still tried to help her.

"I'm sorry Sparx" Cynder said quietly.

"Ermh... Just let me take care of your leg would ya?" Sparx said and flew over her leg and poured more cold water on bruise and laid leaf carefully on it like last time.

"We should get some rest, and i don't suppose that you're moving far with that leg, not to mention Spyro, so we have to rest right here." Sparx said after he gave his treatment for Cynder

"You can go rest if you like but I have to look after Spyro for a moment" Cynder said

"Suit yourself" Sparx landed behind Spyro's neck and started sleeping. Cynder crawled next to Spyro and started to lick his wounds. After hour or two Cynder started feeling really tired and stopped licking Spyro's wounds. It has got dark already and she gazed stars trying to find any familiar constellation but huge mushrooms blocked sky from her. A bit sad Cynder crawled just next to Spyro so she could feel his warmth. When she laid her head on ground and tried to get some sleep she felt Spyro moving. Barely but moving nevertheless. She raised her head back up and whispered.

"Spyro?"

"Mhnnmnh..." Spyro murmured

"Spyro?" Cynder repeated a bit louder. Spyro opened his eyes slowly and saw Cynder's worried face few inch away from his own.

"Cynder?" Spyro said quietly.

"Are you feeling allright? Does it hurt anywhere?" Cynder asked still worried.

"A bit but I'm feeling alot better than in... What happened? Where are we?" Spyro asked. Recalling what happened in convexity and realising they weren't there anymore. Cynder looked relieved.

"You fell unconscious during our escape and I managed to get us out from there and we emerged high above clouds. You should have seen the sky... It was beautiful... I've never seen anything like it. I flew trough clouds and saw huge land below us, but I was too tired to get us anywhere else than into this swamp what where just below us so I had to land here. Well crash sounds more fitting but we made it." Cynder explained slowly.

"And you? Are you ok?" Spyro asked

"Well the crash-landing where rougtht and I think I broke my left leg because of that." Cynder answered quietly.

"What? Are you sure you're ok?" Spyro Asked again worried.

"I am now that you're here with me." Cynder said and got blushed afterwards she realised what she just said. Ignoring confusion from her answer Spyro asked:

"And Sparx? What happened to him?"

"He made as well and he is sleeping behind your neck now." Cynder said quietly.

"I believe you're hungry because I'm starving right now, but you need to rest till morning and I am afraid that you need to get something to us to eat. I cant hunt with this leg" Cynder continued.

"Could you fluff my pillow mum? I think Spyro stepped on it again." Spark said while sleeping. Cynder giggled quietly and Spyro Smiled.

"Well I get some sleep now. Good night Cynder" Spyro said and closed his eyes.

"Good night Spyro. Have sweet dreams." Cynder said and laid her head next to Spyro's.


	4. Chapter 4: Bon Appétit

Chapter 4 – Bon Appétit

"Good night Spyro. Have sweet dreams." Cynder said and laid her head next to Spyro's.

Spyro dreamed being on plains alone, surrounded by tall grass. Wind moved grass slowly. He heard someone speaking with language he didn't understand. Spyro moved towards sound to see who would be in there. Shortly after he came to more open area where grass where barely above his pawns and he saw odd looking creature standing on 2 legs looking back right at Spyro's eyes, almost like creature knew he where coming. Creature looked almost like ape he have fought against many times before, but this one where far more slim, fragile yet looked more intelligent. It wore bright metalcoloured platearmors, red long cape and large shield which had golden cross on it. Creature spoke again with odd language, drew sword from it's back and pointed it on Spyro's throat.

But before anything else happened creature vanish into thin air before Spyro's eyes.

Suddenly Spyro was in a small cave. Spyro looked around a bit and saw Cynder and Sparx sleeping in corner and that odd creature again sitting next to Spyro without It's armours this time, wearing grey suit covering most of It's body occluding feets, strange hands and head. Creature started talking with language which Spyro understood this time.

"...I know too much to fall on their hands or worse yet, become one of them. Secrets I hold may mean total destruction of the world in hands who does not understand the full potential of powers my secrets holds." Creature paused and looked briefly over sleeping companions then looked deep into Spyro's eyes.

"If I am ever in situation where my capture is inevitable or someone manages to get into my mind I want you, Spyro the dragon, to kill me at once, without any hesitation. Promise me Spyro."

Spyro awoke to noise not coming far away. He opened eyes. Sun seemed just starting to rise in horizon but it where still dark. Voices sounded like groans of smaller creature. Spyro got up carefully so others would not wake up. He stalk behind small mushroom to see better what creature could be there, hoping that it would be something they could eat. He peek over mushroom and saw brown hairy creature scrabble ground and sniffing small holes it has dug.

"Is that a wild boar? Here?" Spyro whispered to himself, thinking it where too good to be true that boar could just come so close to them where they where resting and not that alone but also than Spyro could not hear any other creatures at all, occluding insects of course. Spyro stalked behind his easy pray. Boar stopped sniffing ground suddenly, probably because it smelled someones presence. Spyro knew he has been spotted so he lunged towards boar which turned around only to see young purple dragon catch it's throat between Spyro's strong jaws. Spyro twinged boar above him and smashed boar's muzzle back on ground. Spyro pulled boar again and smashed it down again. Loud snap came from boar's neck and boar didn't resist anylonger. Spyro dragged boar back to resting place and where others have waken up because the noise what Spyro's Hunt made.

"What was that noise?" Cynder asked before she saw Spyro dragging dead boar to them.

"Imh fumh thms brwl" Spyro murmured while dragging boar.

"What?" Cynder asked. Spyro released his jaws from boar's throat.

"I wound this wild boar just behind those mushrooms."

"Way to go purple boy. Could you have been any bit louder with that? I had nice dream about grassland filled by fat butterflies." Sparx said while rubbing his eyes.

"How long you have been up Spyro?" Cynder asked, glad that Spyro has got something to them to eat.

"Less than a hour" Spyro said and turned to boar. He embed his claws trough boar's skin and started to remove boar's hairy skin piece by piece

"Oh brother, I never get used to that. I lost my appetite now." Sparx said with disgust expression on his face.

"Then don t look." Cynder said to Sparx with drool in her mouth.

"You know what? You also disgust me right now." Sparx said and flew near mushrooms to find some insects.

"Well that's just too bad for you." Cynder replied and turned her gaze on boar. Spyro finished skinning the boar and now took deep breath and started carefully breathe fire on boar. Before long Spyro cooked boar, took bite on it and dragged it near Cynder so she could eat without the need to move closer by herself. Cynder took bite voraciously and swallowed first piece of meat.

"Ahh... This tastes great!" Cynder said with satisfied tone "Aren't you going to eat, Spyro?" Cynder said before she took another bite.

"Just eat. I'll eat when you're finished"

"Oh come on Spyro, You have been without food long as I am. You must be starving." Cynder said after she swallowed.

"It's fine. I'm not that hungry" Spyro said but his stomach betrayed him and growled.

"Your stomach says otherwise. Just eat with me Spyro. Here is more than enough." Cynder said amused.

"Well ok." Spyro said a bit embarrassed. He walked on other side of boar and embed his tooths into meat. Cynder smiled and continued eating.

"BURP! Ah... That I call a breakfast!" Sparx Said filled up. And flew over Spyro

"Soo uh... You haven't finished yet?"

"What it looks like Sparx? We haven't eaten in long time and we're a bit hungry" Spyro said with small piece of meat in his mouth.

"Well it sure looks like it. Just dont eat too much or you're going to have weight issues. Both of you."

"HEY! Are you saying I'm fat?!" Cynder shouted to Sparx

"Uh oh..." Spyro flew behind Spyro.

"Just ignore him" Spyro said

"Weight issues... Argh! You're so lucky I cant get up!"

"Just eat Cynder. I don't know if were getting more of food anytime soon so lets not waste it." Spyro said calmly.

"Listen to Spyro doomgirl. Just ignore me for a moment please." Sparx said behind Spyro still scared a bit. Cynder continued to eat with anger on her face. Sun has risen on horizon and cold moisture air started to warm up. Wild boar has now been eaten, only bones left.

"Ahh... BURP!" Cynder blushed a bit. "I feel like my stomach is about to explode. I've never eaten so much at once. BURP!" She giggled a bit

"Hehe... BURP!" Spyro burped loudly and both Cynder and Spyro started to laugh.

"Eheehe... We should try to find place where we you can rest. I'll explore area a bit. Sparx! You stay with her ok?"

"Stay with HER? Are you nuts? She is devious, black 'n evil she-dragon of doom! She will turn me to ashes!" Sparx protested.

"She cant breath fire."

"But I can breath acid if you want Sparx" Cynder said to Sparx with devious looking face.

"See? See?!" Sparx Tried to make Spyro change his mind.

"You'll be fine" Spyro said and ventured to explore surroundings.

"And so he did it again. Leaving me hang around with evil doomgirl."


	5. Chapter 5: Trip to hideout

Chapter 5 – Trip to hideout

"And so he did it again. Leaving me hang around with evil doomgirl."

Spyro Searched surrounding mushroom forest trying to find safe place for Cynder to rest. A cave or otherwise isolated place would do nicely he thought. After few hours he found tight rock formation with small walkway to middle and in middle where where single medium-sized mushroom which looked like nice cover if it happens to rain. Ground where covered with dried moss. Wind couldn't come into this small nest like formation. Thinking Spyro has wound what he have searched for he headed back to Cynder. An hour later he wound Cynder and Sparx arguing on something.

"...And you should learn to keep your mouth shut!" Cynder said With aggressive tone to Sparx.

"Hah! And you should keep your hands off from Spyro! He's MY brother and it is MY responsibility to look after him." Sparx argued

"And what makes you think you can choose what is best for Spyro? Argh! What you have against me being around Spyro anyway?"

"Cause you're evil, bad black she-dragon!"

"Oh please! Stop reminding me from my past!" Cynder shouted almost in rage. Spyro decided they had their argue ran long enough and interrupted them.

"Hey! I think I found ideal place to you to rest Cynder" Spyro said, pretending he haven't heard Cynder and Sparx arguing on eachother. Cynder let herself to calm down before turning her head towards Spyro. Sparx crossed his hands and turned his back on Cynder.

"That's great Spyro. How far it is?" Cynder asked trying to be calm as possible.

"Not too far but far enough that I need to carry you over there somehow"

"Well I think I can walk on three legs if you let me lean on you."

"Too risky. Just jump on my back" Spyro said and walked front of Cynder, turned around and laid himself on ground so Cynder could climb on him. Cynder then crawled slowly on Spyro's back carefully so she would not hurt her leg.

"Heheh... quickly now, you tickle me."

"Oh really? From here?" Cynder smiled and tickled Spyro more from under his foreleg.

"HeheHAHaHA! Sto-- HahaHA! Stop it! HAHahaHA! I-- heha! I can't breath! HAHAHaha!" Spyro tried to stay still but all the tickling made him crawl a bit anyway.

"And now you're trying to crawl all the way? Not promising Spyro, not promising at all." Cynder said with big smile and continued his torture.

"HahaHAHA! Quit it! HAHAHahaHa! Cyn-- Hehehaha! Cynder please! HahaHAHaha!"

"Oh brother..." Sparx slapped his head and turned around. "Ok that enough. Are you trying to make Spyro die on laugh, doomgirl?" Sparx said sill a bit angered.

"Spoilsports..." Cynder said and stopped.

"ehee... huhh..." Spyro tried catch his breath. Cynder crawled on Spyro's back and laid her head on Spyro's head, neck going from between his horns and 'locking' head on place with her sheet horns.

"Ok Spyro. I'm ready, lets go." Cynder said.

"Give me a moment" Spyro got up slowly with Cynder on his back. "Do you sit well up there Cynder?"

"Yes, I'm fine" Cynder said, trying to relax.

Spyro started walk carefully towards hideout he has been found but soon Spyro got used to carry Cynder on back and now he walked almost normally thought slow, avoiding any sudden moves. To spent time Sparx started to play Guess the riddle games with Spyro. Cynder got into game soon aswell.

"So try to figure this out. 'I am little, but we are many. We fill the dark so you could see. We are far away, yet you see us always when time is dark. What are we?" Sparx tried to make riddle out from his mind. Spyro looked puzzled but Cynder got smile on her face.

"I think I know this. dragonfly!" Cynder said out loud.

"A dragonfly? *IIIII!* Wrong answer! Why I should put up a riddle about myself?" Sparx said.

"Well you illuminate space around you, especially when it's dark and you're small." Cynder explained.

"Sorry, but no." Sparx said. Cynder started to think again.

"...We are many. We fill the dark..." Spyro repeated to himself and turned his head up, raising Cynder's head as well. They both looked to sky and noticed lone white dot on sky and they both said at the same time:

"A star!"

"Bingo! Now we have to figure which one of you two said it first." Sparx stated.

"Umm... how about this, I and Cynder make part of riddle and you try to solve it?" Spyro said

"Eh... Well do what you like. There is absolutely no rid I can't solve" Sparx said overconfident.

"You start" Cynder said to Spyro and whispered something.

"Hehe... Ok... I am weed but I eat." Spyro said

"I rule the swamp and insects fear me" Cynder continued. Sparx thought hard to figure this one out.

"Flytrap? No? Quicksand? Pond? Beehive?" Spyro kept guessing out loud.

"No and no. You should think instead shooting random guesses out from your mouth Sparx" Spyro said smiling. after few minutes Sparx gave up

"Ok... I give up. What is it?" Sparx said head down.

"Frogweed!" Cynder said "And far I have learned you're quite big fan of them too"

"Frogweed! Urngh... Spyro, have you been telling some secrets about me lately to this doomgirl? You know I hate those thing!" Sparx said becoming anxious.

"Well you never said I shouldn't tell her."

"You don't need to be told not to tell!" Sparx yelled at Spyro with hurt tone and flew off. Spyro stopped and looked after Sparx as he flew behind mushrooms and couldn't see him anylonger.

"Ouch, Spyro. You really made him mad this time." Cynder Said quietly.

"Yeah..." Spyro said with sad tone and sighed.

"Don't worry too much. He'll come back in no time." Cynder said trying to sheer Spyro up. Spyro turned his head back on path to hideout and continued to walk.

Sparx continued his flight further away from Spyro head turned red from anger.

"How could he just go and tell OUR past to that... that evil black-hearted demon of ultimate doom! ARGH! But on only that but he just decided to tell that disgusting event to her as well!" Sparx continued to speaking to himself but where interrupted to voices which came just from another side of swamp covered by fog. Sparx looked over swamp and barely saw shadows of two figures thought fog walking same direction as he went. Sparx heard them talking a bit loud.

"Arrh... How long we do have to scout this forsaken swamp? Here is absolutely nothing." first shadow said with groan.

"Shut your mouth! We scout this area until I say otherwise!" Second shadow groaned loudly to another.

"And I'm feeling tired and hungry!"

"And soon you will feel club on your head if you wont shut your mouth at once!" Other figure said with anger.

"Grrr. Our boss is outa his mind! There is no way that pestering creature would have come here."

"THATS IT!" Sparx saw shadow to turn around and hit another one with large club on head with loud pang. Other shadow fell on ground and scratched its head

"Ouch! That hurt!"

"And it will alot more if you wont stop pestering me! We have to capture this creature! Come on!" Standing figure turned around again and started walking. other figure got up fast and followed first one.

"Oh brother." Sparx said pale and eyes wide. He turned around and flew fast as he could back to Spyro.

"Spyyyyyyyroooooooooo!!" Sparx yelled behind Spyro and Cynder. Spyro halted and turned his head carefully. Sparx flew front of Spyro's head and breathed heavily

"Sparx? Are you allright?" Spyro asked confused about Sparx sudden change of mood.

"Well I think he just found frogweeds' nest." Cynder grinned

"Apaa Abaa... We... We're in danger! Bad danger! Huge danger!" Sparx tried to tell.

"What you mean Sparx? Calm down." Spyro said getting worried

"I-I-I saw two shadows behind swamp thought fog! They're after us!"

"Shadows? What shadows?" Cynder asked raising her head but her horns just got stumped against Spyro's horns.

"After us? Are you sure Sparx?" Spyro continued.

"YES IM POSITIVE!" Sparx yelled out loud,

"Shhh!" Both Spyro and Cynder sizzled.

"We need to get somewhere to cover." Spyro said briefly and walked out from pathway and continued their travel between dense mushroom forest. After a while they heard loud yelling from distance which stopped suddenly. Group stopped and got down.

"What that was?" Spark Whispered. Getting cover from behind Spyro.


	6. Chapter 6: Hideout

Chapter 6 - Hideout

"What that was?" Spark Whispered. Getting cover from behind Spyro

"Cynder, climb off me. I need to check what that was" Spyro whispered. Cynder climbed off slowly "Sparx you stay here" Spyro continued quietly

"Oh... you're not leaving me with doomgirl again." Sparx Crossed his hands.

"It's just few minutes. Stay here."

"Ok, fine."

"Be careful Spyro" Cynder whispered

"I will" Spyro answered and creped where yelling came from. After few minutes he came back to pathway and a bit further in small opening he saw something lie down. Spyro creep closer to see better. Two large green creatures lied down. pierced by multiple arrows. Creatures had flat faces and strong muscular body. They had too small leatherarmors and small ironhelmets and large clubs. For a moment Spyro's hopes rose up thinking that Hunter could be behind this but once he looked closer the arrows he started to doubt himself. Arrows where shorter and heavier looking then what hunter used. And almost every arrow had hit their targets with deadly accuracy to vital areas, finishing them off quickly. 'They never had a change whoever did this to them' Spyro thought. He looked around so see any other clues from this mysterious archer but he didn't see anything extraordinary. Spyro turned around and creped back to his friends, looking back few times to be sure he wasn't being followed.

"What you did find?" Cynder whispered when she saw familiar face coming behind mushrooms.

"Two large green creatures dead, hit by multiple arrows." Spyro answered

"And the one who shot them? Did you see it?" Sparx asked

"No I didn't see anything else on there, whoever killed them was really good at shooting. I've never seen such accuracy expect Hunter's."

"Great. Mysterious killer is all we needed now." Sparx said head down.

"What we do now? We cant stay here." Sparx continued.

"I think it's best we head to that hideout you found earlier Spyro" Cynder said turning her head to where pathway where.

"You're right Cynder. Hop on." Spyro said and laid himself on ground. Cynder climbed on Spyro like last time and they continued their journey to hideout. Carefully not letting extra sounds be heard. They came behind mushrooms what separated them from small opening where two bodies still lied. Cynder looked over bodies from behind mushrooms and her eyes widened

"orcs!" She whispered.

"You seen them before?"

"Yes. Apes have had some troubles with them long ago so I had to drive them away." Cynder said with increasing sadness as memories came back to her.

"They're Strong and durable beasts but most them are a bit slow and they ain't smartest ones around either." she continued tears pouring from her eyes. As Spyro felt first tear falling on his head he asked:

"Are you ok Cynder?" Cynder didn't answer

"Cynder?" Spyro halted and asked again getting really worried about Cynder.

"It.... It's just... I have done terrible things." Cynder said and started sob quietly.

"It's ok Cynder. It happened long ago and you aren't responsible what you did. You never was."

"But things I've done. They where horrible! And I enjoyed and laughed while doing those things!" Cynder said starting to cry all out loud.

"There, there now. Everything is fine now. Dark master is gone for good." Spyro tried to comfort Cynder.

"I am here with you. You're in safe now. I wont let anything to happen to you, no matter what." Spyro continued.

"I really to hate to interrupt you guys but you said these orcs where killed by arrows?" Sparx said looking to bodies with scare on his face.

"Yes." Spyro said carelessly to Sparx as his attention where on Cynder.

"Where all the arrows are?" Sparx pointed towards two bodies. Spyro looked direction where orcs' bodies lied down and his eyes widened.

"They're gone!"

"I don't like this!" Sparx said scared

"One who killed them can't be far away. We must get outa here quickly!" Spyro said hastily and started walking fast, yet carefully not to make too much noise. Cynder came back to her senses as Spyro fast movement made her feel like she was pouncing on him and she sniffed to calm down.

"What happened? Why Sparx looks so pale?" Cynder whispered to Spyro, still tears in her eyes.

"The orcs. Arrows are gone! Someone has taken them." Spyro said not slowing down.

"What?" Cynder turned her head to see behind where they came but her horns just collided against Spyro's horn, turned his head as well and made Spyro almost to lose balance

"Whoah!" Spyro shouted

"Sorry." Cynder whispered

"It's okay" Spyro continued to walk fast away from orcs. After half a hour they came near circular rock formations which Spyro has found earlier. Group stopped near entrance and looked around to be sure they haven't been followed.

"You see anything?" Spyro asked.

"Nope" Sparx said relieved. Cynder whispered something to Spyro.

"Could you go check surroundings while I carry Cynder inside?"

"No can do Purple boy. I'm not going anywhere alone. Not after that what happened back there."

"It's okay Sparx. I don't believe we where followed in here and even if we where I find it hard to believe that they pay any attention to you because you're... ehh..."

"A bug?" Sparx said anxious and folded his arms before his chest.

"...Small. Please." Spyro finished

"All right, all right. I'll go."

"If you run into trouble be sure to yell like you did last time" Cynder grinned.

"Very funny doomgirl" Sparx said while flying off. Spyro walked into hideout.

"So what you think Cynder?" Spyro asked

"This place looks fabulous"

"I thought you would like this place." Spyro said smiling and walked under mushroom which was like umbrella to this place. Spyro laid down on dried moss and let Cynder climb off.

"Spyro." Cynder said carefully. Spyro turned his head and saw Cynder looking right into his eyes.

"After we fled from that convexity place and when you fell unconscious I thought I lost you and came to realise I have deep feelings towards you."

"Wh-What you mean Cynder?" Spyro asked but he knew really well what she meant. So long Spyro has hidden his feelings on her, waiting for better moment and place. Sparx hasn't been very supportive either as he still has his 'I tolerate her because you force me to' attitude. He has almost told her his feelings several times already but where afraid that Cynder would not response to his emotions. But now when Cynder laid down front of him, looking with her emerald green eyes deep into his eyes and speaking to him like that, Spyro's emotions towards her began to emerge again. This time stronger than ever before, leaving him feel that he could not fight against it anymore. Spyro began to blush.

"What I mean I care about you more than I realised. Spyro... I love you." Cynder finished with small smile. Spyro heard words 'I love you' like large bells ringing next to his ears and heart pumped like there would not be tomorrow. He felt his long hidden feelings towards her erupt like volcano and he felt like something has snapped inside his head.

"Cynder I..." Spyro tried to put his feelings into words. "I... I...I love you... More than anything." Spyro felt burden of his long silenced feelings fade away and single tear came to Spyro's eye.

"Come here." Cynder whispered. Spyro stood up and walked slowly next to Cynder and before he could get down Cynder already gave him a deep passionable kiss. Spyro eyes shot wide open from amaze and got deeply blushed. Feeling the love running in his veins Spyro closed his eyes and answered to kiss and laid down next to her.. After kiss where broke Spyro took Cynder deep between his arms and hugged her, hoping time itself would freeze. Cynder Moved her wing on Spyro and they just lied down, hugging. After a while Sparx flew back.

"I knew there is nothing around. Well at least I found nice nest filled by juicy an-- Oh..." Sparx' Speech where cut short when he saw two dragons hugging eachother under mushroom.

"Ahem." Sparx cleared his throat oversoudly to make sure he will be heard out but Spyro and Cynder totally ignored him.

"Excuse me but cou--"

"Not now Sparx... Not today..." Spyro whispered.

"But you--"

"Shhh..."

"Fine" Sparx said defeated and flew other side of hideout. They remained in that position for hours. Sun where setting below horizon but Spyro and Cynder still hugged eachother, in the very same position as when Sparx found them. Eventually they got tired and fell asleep, still hugging.


	7. Chapter 7: New day

Chapter 7 – New day

"Fine" Sparx said defeated and flew other side of hideout. They remained in that position for hours. Sun where setting below horizon but Spyro and Cynder still hugged eachother, in the very same position as when Sparx found them. Eventually they got tired and fell asleep, still hugging. Spyro slept deepest and calmest sleep he has ever before .He hasn't never felt himself happier than now with Cynder. Feeling her warmth trough his sleep he just smiled. Sun revealed itself above mushrooms and sun rays hit the cuddling couple, telling them it is morning and time to wake up. Spyro opened his eyes slowly and realised that Cynder's head where sitting on his neck. Spyro didn't want to wake her up by breaking hug and getting up so he decided to stay still and rest long as Cynder would show sign of waking up. It didn't take long because sun rays has hit Cynder's eyelids as well and Spyro noticed Cynder to breathe faster and move a bit.

"Good morning Cynder." Spyro said with warm voice.

"Mhmhmm... *yawn* Good morning Spyro." Cynder whispered.

"Good morning you two!" Sparx yelled anxious, still mad about yesterday and to fact that Cynder was sleeping with Spyro.

"Do you know what time it is? Sun rose at least hour ago!" Sparx continued. Cynder raised her head up letting Spyro to move his head. They looked eachother with dreamy eyes.

"Hi" Cynder whispered

"Hi" Spyro answered and kissed her. Sparx head began to turn red.

"Oh hi to you two too. GOOD MORNING!!" Sparx shout out loudly. This made Spyro to broke his kiss and turn head to look what was up with Sparx this time.

"Good morning Sparx." Spyro answered

"Welcome back purple boy. About time you to get up too. You know what... its has been bright like over hour or two." Sparx continued anxious. Spyro yawn and stretched out his legs and wings and got slowly up.

"*Yawn* You hungry?" Spyro asked

"Not really"

"I could eat whole nest of bugs. In matter of fact, I'll go tax them"

"you're always hungry" Cynder said still a bit sleepy.

"Says doomgirl who just ate whole boar yesterday."

"Are you trying to call me fat?"

"I didn't say that" Sparx said quickly. "But if you did think that, mission accomplished" Sparx whispered.

"WHAT?!" Cynder shouted furiously.

"Uh oh... I'm off!" Sparx shouted and flew where he have found ants' nest yesterday.

"Grrr... He is so dead when he gets back!" Cynder murmured. Spyro tried to hide his smile with bad success and Cynder noticed this.

"What you're smiling at?"

"Nothing, nothing." Spyro said feeling that total outburst where just an inch away.

"You never learned to lie."

"Ehe... Ahem. How's your leg?" Spyro tried to change subject.

"Getting better, or at least it wont hurt that much anymore."

"That's great to hear. You should recover in no time."

"I better do. It's deadly boring just lie around doing nothing. I feel myself useless, A burden." Cynder lowered her head.

"But Cynder you're nothing like that and you know that. If I recall correctly I was more of a burden after the fight against Dark master."

"But I just did what I had to do."

"And now I am doing the same." Spyro finished with kind and warm voice. Cynder raised her head only being kissed briefly by Spyro. Cynder started to blush but she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Well I'll go and hunt something to us to eat. I don't expect to have such luck like yesterday but I have to try anyway."

"Don't be away for too long." Cynder said and laid her head between her pawns

"I wont." Spyro walked outside of hideout and saw Sparx 'taxing' antnest like he said few minutes ago.

"Ahh... you look delicious." Sparx spoke himself and took another snack of ants. Spyro grinned and sneaked behind Sparx

"Don't eat them all." Spyro whispered just behind Sparx surprising him.

"AH! Oh its just you, the purple menace"

"Hehehe. So you're done?"

"Just about. And you're off to hunt again aren't ya?"

"Yeah. I don't expect have such luck like last time but I have to seek something to eat anyway.

"Eat ants. They're delicious" Sparx snapped another ant into his mouth.

"No thanks. Can you stay with Cynder again?"

"NO WAY! Didn't you see her eyes? If I wouldn't know better I'd say her stare would kill me. Nono... I stick with you buddy."

"But I need you to look after her in case something happens while im gone"

"I think that devious doomgirl can handle herself"

"Just stay here. You don't have to go inside hideout if you don't want to."

"..."

"Please?"

"Oh just be quick with that hunt. I hate being near her alone."

"Be sure to find me if something happens. Bye!" Spyro said and went off into mushroom forest.

"Yeah Yeah whatever..." Sparx replied and continued his hunt over ants. Spyro walked around to find any footprints to give a hint about boars or anything else what could be eaten. 'Soft ground should leave good prints' he thought. However It took nearly two hours before he could find any reasonable prints. 'Fourlegged creature, weight about 60-70 kg has walk trough here.' Spyro started to follow peen prints. Another peen prints followed few meters away. Spyro continued following prints half an hour and came edge of small lake which is turning into another swamp. He stayed behind mushroom's stem and looked around. 'Few boar's, maybe a dozen. Why they're moving around together? I thought they live alone.' Spyro thought for himself and memorized this place in case he have to hunt again. He watched wild boars to figure out winch boar he should pick up, but then he saw one boar further away from group and Spyro decided to sneak behind it. Carefully behind stems Spyro walked slowly making sure he did make absolutely no sound while creeping. In few minutes Spyro has successfully got behind lone boar. Making sure his attack would not alert the others he decided to breathe out sharp icebullet and aim it into boar's neckspine killing it instantly and hopefully quietly. Spyro moved closer and bit sideways to boar, preparing his shot.

At the very moment boar raised it's head Spyro shot icebullet out from his mouth which missed barely it's target. Boar where now alerted to Spyro's presence and where about to run away but Spyro went all out and shot next icebullet after another to boar trying to kill it as fast as possible. Few missed but boar took many hits and one sharp bullet hit boar behind it's head just before it would have made any noise to alert his pack, ending it's live quickly. Spyro looked around to see where the other boars alerted as well but Spyro got relieved to fact that they where not. Spyro crept to boar, emped his teeth into boar's neck and trew it on his back and walked out of sight. It took nearly two hours before he could see familiar hideout far away. Sparx seemed to be upset about something, flying slowly back and forth on entrance of hideout. Spyro got near and Sparx noticed lone hunter and his pray.

"About time you got back!"

"Has something happened while I was gone?"

"Something happened he ask. I'll tell you what happened. Cynder almost turned me into pancake when I spoke with her!" Sparx yelled.

"And what about you spoke with her?"

"About she being evil she-dragon of doom, about leaving you alone, about she being weight issued, abo--"

"I got the picture." Spyro interrupted and passed Sparx into hideout.

"Well this is just great..." Sparx said and stayed behind. Spyro saw Cynder angry and heard her murmuring something herself.

"I said leave me alone!" Cynder shouted while being turned away and eyes closed.

"And eat this all alone?" Spyro replied warmly. Cynder opened her eyes, turned her head quickly and her anger turned to happiness

"You're back!"

"Yeah and I found whole group of these two hours walk from here. We don't have to worry about food anytime soon. Spyro said smiling and dropped boar from his back.

"That's great!"

"Say, what about with Sparx?"

"Argh! He is unbelievable Not only he kept calling me dragon of doom and stuff but he also kept calling me fat!" Cynder spoke with increasing anger.

"But I totally got furious when he said I should leave you alone." Cynder continued with such anger that her stare alone indeed could turn Sparx into ashes.

"Forget about what he said. Deep inside himself I know he cares about you."

"What way to show it too."

"Yeah... Well he is not so good with what he speaks. Heh... Actually he never was."

"And this rate never will."

"Ah but the boar. Are you hungry?"

"A bit but no way I'm going to eat that alot like yesterday."

"That's okay, I'll just dig small hole and freeze boar in it. That way it should be eatable for at least over night." Spyro said and started to remove boar skin. Sparx peeked over rocks to see what was going on and flew behind Cynder hoping she would not know his presence, but Cynder heard buzz what Sparx wings made an she closed her eyes.

"Please tell me Sparx ain't behind me." Cynder said in disbelief. Sparx tried to signal with his hands to Spyro not to tell he's behind her.

"But then I would be lying." Spyro said and continued skinning boar. Sparx gave murdering glance over Spyro.

"Okay now Cynder. Count to ten slowly and calm." Sparx said carefully

"One... Two... Seven-Ten!" Cynder ended and flapped her wing upwards hitting Sparx and making him drop on moss.

"Ow ow ow ow..." Sparx hold his back.

"Got ya!" Cynder said with triumph voice. Spyro started to laugh and Cynder soon afterwards.

Days passed on with same basic routine. Spyro went for huntrip almost every day and most time he came back with yet another boar. On days when Spyro where unable to bring anything with him they usually just melted some of meat Spyro has froze into hole he has made in hideout. Sparx usually stayed with Cynder and almost every day Sparx argued with her too but Cynder got used to Sparx not-so-compliment comments but sometimes it where all out verbal war between them and Spyro had to cut in. And almost every night Spyro and Cynder slept cuddling eachother and Sparx usually mad about it too. There weren't anything unusual seen or heard for almost Three weeks and wounds they got during both fighting against Dark master and their escape has been healed and Cynder's leg has has mostly healed now as well, allowing her to move short distances by walking. They kept low profile in case some orcs or this mysterious ranger where around so they flew only if they really had to, which didn't happen often. One night Spyro slept tirelessly, moving all the time while sleeping, dreaming.

Spyro Was in huge dark hall. Walls where made from solid rock which reflected little of burning torches light. In the middle of hall there where circle of torches and purple winged creature standing on two legs back towards Spyro. Spyro walked slowly towards this dragon looking creature. In blink of the eye creature turned around and looked deep into Spyro's eyes with its golden and cold eyes.

"Power is nothing if you don't know how to control it but I have total control over it now. I AM NOW BLOODTHIRSTY GOD OF DESTRUCTION!" Creature spoke with deep, empty tone which would make anyone feel cold shiver in their spine. After blink of the eye Spyro was on huge grassland, forest's on far left and huge snowtipped mountain ahead and ocean behind. He was relaxing on grass with Cynder. Sparx flying back and forth chasing off some butterflies. Suddenly everything went white. Spyro heard Cynder screaming but he couldn't see anything, light where too bright. After the moment light gave in and Spyro could see again, only to see Enormous fireball miles away growing rapidly.

Clouds fled fireball and Ground started to shake violently. Fireball didn't seem to grow any larger but something, barely visible came right at them with enormous speed. Shockwave hit Spyro like hammer to chests and sent him, Cynder and Sparx off ground flying uncontrolled. Soon they crashed back on ground. A bit dazed Spyro got up again and saw something else approach. Spyro's eyes widened as he realised what it was: a firewall so high they could not possibly fly over it or run away from it. Cynder took Spyro into strong hug and stared incoming firestorm

"Spyro..." She whispered. As soon as wall was about to swallow them, everything went black and quiet. A single familiar voice spoke calmly.

"Some things are shown before they are written, even if they never find their way into books of time. This is what is going to happen if you fail, young dragon."

"Chronicler?"


	8. Chapter 8: Battleground

Chapter 8 – Battleground

"Chronicler?"

Cynder awoke when Spyro kicked her while still sleeping. She raised her head and saw Spyro sleeping tirelessly, turning side to side and mumering. It where still over two hours before sunrise and it where still dark. Sparx snored loudly up in small hole on mushroom's cap where Sparx has dig up for his own. Cynder stood up, took deep yawn and stretched her limbs a bit. Cynder kept looking at Spyro wondering what he would be dreaming about. 'A nightmare? Oh Spyro...' She tough and moved closer and laid herself next to Spyro and lowered her wing on him to protect him from his bad dreams. Spyro seemed to calm down for a moment but then he suddenly jumped out from his dreams with loud yell witch startled Cynder too.

"AH!" Spyro shouted. Cynder pushed herself against Spyro's side.

"You're alrigth?" Cynder asked worried about Spyro's sudden outburst.

"I... You... We... Destruction... Unbelievable destruction... Fires everywhere." Spyro spoke in half panic, sweating and panting a bit. Cynder pulled Spyro with her wing.

"Calm down. You're safe, it was just a bad dream."

"But it felt so real, like I actually was there. Creature... that creature looked almost like me but it stood... Stood like its whole being where meant to stand on only two legs, its eyes where bright yellow, colder than ice, emotionless and the power it possessed! It-it... It destroyed absolutely everything!" Spyro continued still upset.

"It's okay, just try to calm down. I'm here with you." Cynder tried to comfort him but saw Spyro not calming down at all so she did only thing she could come up with and took Spyro's head between her pawns, holding it still and looking deep into Spyro's scared eyes as kind and warm she could and kissed him gently on his lips. Spyro's panic turned into confusion.

"Spyro, it was just a dream, a bad dream. You're okay now, safe with me." Cynder said with warm tone still holding Spyro's head with her pawns. Spyro looked Cynder confused and slowly came back into his senses and he lowered his head but Cynder pulled it back up.

"Just try to relax. There is nothing that could hurt you."

"Cynder I--"

"Shhh..." Cynder blocked Spyro's mouth with her pawn and gave another kiss. After she broke kiss Spyro raised his head and gazed upon stars. Thinking what that dream would mean.

"Chronicler." Spyro said quietly.

"Chronicler?"

"Yes. Chronicler was in my dream too. He spoke something about what is going to happen if I fail something" Spyro spoke And Cynder listened carefully. Spyro has spoken to Cynder about Chronicler before and how he has helped Spyro to reacquire his elemental powers trough visions and the time he actually met him first time in person, but she didn't understand what where Chronicler's part in Spyro's dream..

"Fail what?"

"He didn't tell me. He just spoke almost like telling a riddle and before I could ask anything, everything went blurry and I woke up"

"Well lets think about it sometime later. Sun hasn't risen yet and you kinda woke me up by kicking my chests and I'm still a bit sleepy." Cynder said and yawned.

"Oh... Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine" Cynder replied and tried to get some sleep, but Spyro couldn't sleep over an hour, his dream just kept bugging his mind. Spyro's sleep where doomed to stay short as Sparx yelled like maniac after sunrise.

"GOOOOD MOOOOORNIG! You sleepyhead!" Sparx yelled right into Spyro's ear. Spyro jumped out from his slumber and stood ready to take against anything what would threat him, but only thing he could see was Sparx laughing at him.

"what that was about?" Spyro asked anxious.

"Hahahaha! You should have seen yourself! So priceless! Hahaha!" Sparx continued laughing and Spyro grunt and looked around noticing Cynder ain't here.

"Where is Cynder?"

"Ehee... Well she said she go out to scout a bit and told me not to wake you up. But I got bored and I had to do something to entertain myself. Hehe..." Sparx finished. Spyro sighed and went to hole to see if there was anything left to eat. Cynder flew above mushrooms looking downwards to see if anything unusual was happening around. She knew flying probably wasn't best idea if wanting keep low profile but nothing has happened over three weeks and she really didn't care about that so much anylonger. She heard some metal shattering agaist metal not too far and she landed on mushroom's cap to see what made this constant sound. A large group of orcs marching and swaying their short swords, clubs and small bucklers. 'orcs. At least twenty of them' Cynder thought.

"Be sure to look around blockheads! We lost our scouts near here few weeks ago."

"Bah! This time that pestering creature has not a change against us!"

"Yeah! I'm going to rip him into pieces!" Others started to speak what they would do with creature once they would find it. But largest orc wearing ironchestplate and huge sword started to get anxious.

"QUIET! Were not to kill this thing! Chief said we need it Alive and healthy! Now shut up!" orc shouted and whole group continued marching not speaking a word. They where still hour away from their hideout and with this direction they would miss their hideout for at least two miles, but she and Spyro have left so many prints around hideout that they would surely spot them and might even start following them to hideout. Before thinking more Cynder flapped her wings and set off flying back to others. She flew directly into hideout and noticed Spyro where eating some meat. She landed front of him surprising him.

"Whoah!" Spyro backed up a bit. "Oh It's you, I thought we agreed not to fly." Spyro continued.

"orcs are coming. At least 20 of them and they're battleready."

"Where? Sparx interrupted

"An hour away. Looks like they're not after us but when they find out our footprints im sure they come here. We need to leave this place." Cynder said.

"You're right. You said they where hour away?"

"Yeah she did." Sparx interrupted again.

"Lets eat something fast before they find this place." Spyro continued.

"Excuse me purple boy, but did you say eat? Are you lost you mind?"

"If they do find us before we're finished we can easily fly off." Cynder answered for Spyro

"well don't blame me if you get hit by club." Sparx said. They ate with haste and soon they finished they flew away from hideout on nearby mushroom's cap where they could easily see what is going to happen around their hideout and remain unseen. After long wait Cynder saw something move west side of hideout.

"That's odd... orcs where up north" She whispered. Sparx and Spyro turned their head where Cynder was looking and saw slim hooded creature approach carefully their hideout, following dragon's footprints with great care. Creature walked on two legs and wore grey cape which covered his whole body and it's hood covered it's head so it's face could not be seen if not faced directly. About five or six feet tall and It kept some sort of bow, which none of them has never seen before looking like there where wooden part added middle of the bow making it look like anchor, in it's left five fingered hand. Ranger footprints where odd looking as well. They where not natural, it where wearing some sort of shoes or boots which left really strange prints. Spyro recognised arrows what creature kept in quiver on right side of it's pelvis.

"Those arrows. That's the one who killed those orcs weeks ago." Spyro whispered.

"What is that thing?" Sparx whispered

"I never seen creature like that. It's far too slim to be an ape." Cynder answered. Ranger creped towards their hideout and before it entered it looked around carefully. Spyro and Cynder lowered their heads just in time. After they looked again creature has vanish into their hideout.

"You think that thing is after us?" Cynder asked.

"Probably only curious but we better stay hidden." Spyro whispered.

"Amen for that" Sparx ended. Soon they saw orcs walking quietly from up north. They seems to have found dragon's footprints as Cynder predicted and where closing in hideout as well. One of the orcs hit his foot on stone and grunt loudly. All the other orcs looked over him angry and continued their creeping towards hideout. Spyro saw creature being alerted and it prepared it's bow, took small knife under it's cape and waited inside hideout waiting the first one to show up in entrance. One orc walked slowly towards the entrance and got greet by small knife which creature threw with deadly accuracy. Before orc dropped on ground ranger ran out from hideout and shot it's bow against another orc hitting it right into his heart. Now rest of orcs got recovered from ranger's surprise attack they ran towards ranger furiously, waving their heavy weapons. Ranger kept running around mushroom's stems and trying to keep distance and firing it's arrows here and then, most them hit but ranger got exhausted rather quickly, making it harder to aim precisely it's shots and arrows mostly just hurtled them than killing them instantly. orcs kept running and managed to get strike distance from ranger. They Swung their clubs which such rage they would hurt even Spyro badly but they missed as ranger leaped to side, made sommerwault on ground and continued running.

"We gotta do something! That creature is being overrun." Spyro spoke loudly

"What? NO! You're totally outa of you mind now! You're not going down there." Sparx protested.

"Spyro this is not our fight. Stay away from it. Cynder said fast but Spyro mind has already set.

"We need to help him! Come on!" Spyro spoke loudly and went off flying above battleground. Cynder shook her head and went after Spyro.

"Oh brother... Please stop being a hero for once and think about your safety" Sparx shouted after Spyro. Ranger has managed to get some distance now and where able to hide behind smaller mushrooms and it breathed heavily. orcs looked around and walked around haste in order to find ranger. Ranger prepared it's bow again and started aiming one of the orcs, but ranger failed to notice that one orc has managed to creep behind it and where raising his sword. Spyro noticed this and dived to intercept orc before he could swung his sword on ranger. Spyro hit orc hard to chest making orc lose his balance and falling on it's back and hitting his head on rock, making orc fell unconscious. Spyro turned around to see how ranger where fairing out but once Spyro saw ranger it turned around fast and shot his arrow towards Spyro. Spyro's eyes widened and he felt pain on his throat.

"SPYRO NO!!" Cynder yelled loud as her lungs allowed her.


	9. Chapter 9: We must help him!

Chapter 9 – We must help him!

"SPYRO NO!!" Cynder yelled loud as her lungs allowed her. She lunged between Spyro and ranger facing this unknown hostile creature. Pain where strong on Spyro's throat but ranger's arrow has barely missed it's target and leaved deep bleeding cutwound side of his throat. Spyro came over from pain and looked his attacker behind Cynder and saw ranger's face: Totally hairless face except dark brown eyebrows and long brown hair top of his head, beige smooth skin, really short nose making it's face look rather flat. Lighted small lips. Spyro has ever seen such creature but he recognised it's emotions clearly. ' Fear? Is it scared? Terrified?' Cynder stared ranger with fierce, took one step closer and where about to unleash her corrosive breath on ranger.

"Cynder stop! I'm okay, I'm fine." Spyro shouted Cynder turned her head slowly keeping her stare on Ranger long as possible.

" You must be kidding Spy—LOOK OUT!" Cynder tried to warn Spyro about orc that Spyro thought he had knocked out where standing again and had sword raised against Spyro. Spyro turned around quickly but before he could see orc something flew just over Cynder's and Spyro's head and when Spyro saw orc, orc where looking his own chest where small knife has struck his heart and fell on knees. Cynder felt knife flew over her head and turned her attention back on ranger with such anger that she failed to realise ranger's, whose arm where still raised hand and whose face turned from determination back into scared one, intentions. Ranger didn't trow knife against her but the orc behind her and Spyro, but Cynder unleashed her acid breath towards ranger. Ranger siderolled out of the way, got up and began running away. After few steps however strong greenish arm grasped ranger from it's shoulder and lift it up from ground with ease.

"Got you now!" orc with ironplate groaned and turned his face towards two dragons with a big smile.

"I knew those footprints belonged to dragon and where worth of checking out. But this outcast being here as well... This is a gift from wargods. Thank you for keeping it here for us." Ranger took yet another knife under his cape and tried to hit leader with it but orc grabbed ranger's hand and squeezed it until ranger where forced to drop it. Ranger kicked orcish leader several times but this made orc only laugh.

"Haha, Cynder isn't it? I remember you where alot bigger!" Cynder got confused for a moment but anger took place quicly.

"Who are you and what you want from ranger?" Cynder asked.

"Edgard Strongarm is name and what we want from this pester is none of your business." Edgard finished and commanded nearby orcs:

"You three! Escort me back to camp! Rest of you, Kill those dragons!" Edgard turned around and fled from paused battle with three other orcs with him. Spyro heard ranger yelling with somehow familiar voice and language he has heard before but didn't understand

"Päästä irti niin näytän miten puukko upotetaan niskaasi!" Ranger shouted.

"My dream. That creature is the one I saw in my dream" Spyro spoke to himself

"Cynder we need to go and help that ranger!"

"But it almost killed you!" Cynder said keeping eye on remaining nine orcs.

"I know but he thought there was orc behind him, not me. And he shot before he realised that."

"He? You know this thing?" Cynder asked. Spyro thought for a moment before he answered.

"Yes, in my dreams and we must act quickly before Edgard gets too far!"

"You can't be serious! Dreams shouldn't be reason to rescue someone who has tried just moment ago to kill you!" Cynder continued as she lunged towards orc who has come too close, hit him to his stomach with her head, quickly followed by her backward sommewault tailstrike on his jaw sending orc flying backwards and crashing on other orc behind him.

"I rescued you without having dreamed about it..." Spyro said slowly and quietly but Cynder heard what he said and she remembered times when she has fought against Spyro when she was still under Dark master's influence and how her inner self yelled to stop but she didn't listen it and she fought with rage against Spyro. Cynder looked Spyro with sadness and shame on her face what she has done in past.

"But that was best decision in my life and best days in my live includes you." Spyro continued.

"Spyro I..." Cynder emotional imbalance where tossed aside when she heard one orc yelling while charging towards them. She turned around determined and battleready, dodged orc's powerful strike from his club with ease by jumping above his head. She spinned around on air and cut orc's throat with hear tailblade.

"Fine! We rescue this creature of yours, but I swear if 'he' tries anything I shread 'him' into pieces." Cynder said and lifted herself on air. Spyro unleashed his fireball towards orc near him. orc tried to cover himself with small buckler but the blast shattered his poor shield and orc looked his numb arm in disbelieve, turned his angered gaze back on Spyro and threw his spiky club towards Spyro. Spyro dodged flying club to left by flapping his wings strongly and before he landed back he fired another fireball on unarmed orc doing fatal hit on him. Cynder stole orc's lifted club below her and dropped it on another orc who barely dodged that and groaned back angry. Sparx flew down to battleground enchanted by two dragon's fight and bunched his fists on air like boxer.

"Yeah! Take that! Uppercut! Haha! You ain't match for me!" Sparx yelled. orc head slowly rose behind him, groaned quietly and Sparx felt suddenly unsecure and looked behind.

"Uh oh... AAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Sparx flew back atop of mushrooms as orc ran towards Spyro. Spyro heard Sparx yell, turned around and breath some icebullets on charging orc finishing his foe with ease. Cynder lanced towards orc with buckler and just before impact she pulled up and breath poison mist on orc. orc tried to cover himself with his shield but it where useless as mist reached his eyes. orc groaned in pain, dropped his sword and shield, held his arm on his eyes and ran around aimless.

"We need to go after Edgard now or we might lose him!" Cynder shouted from air.

"You're right but we can't risk letting orcs left behind. They might catch us up when we fight Edgard or even warn camp about our presence."

"Then let's end this with haste!" Cynder shouted and landed middle of group of three orcs and began gathering energy for furyattack. orcs didn't realize the danger and tried to hit Cynder with their clubs and swords but before any of their strikes landed, Cynder unleashed her shadowfuryattack sending all three orcs flying backwards several meters. Last scattered three orcs realised they where dealing with enemies too great for them and began to flee after their leader and camp. Spyro lifted himself on air and flew after them and Cynder followed Spyro's leisure. Spyro flew just above ground dodging upcoming mushroom's stems and breathe fire upon first orc he catched up. Cynder took herself above mushrooms and went after third orc. She lunged towards third one between mushrooms and hit orc on his back making orc fall on his face and before orc recovered from her attack, Cynder breath acid upon him. Spyro got up with second orc and landed on his back. Spyro emped his tooth deep into orc's throat and started to tear orc with his strong claws. Cynder flew back to Spyro and saw Spyro's successful chase. Sparx flew came to them as well panting a bit

"You... You know you should stop being a hero for once bro. If not your sake then mine's." Sparx said while trying catch his breath

"You're allright?" Cynder asked as Spyro rose his head.

"Huh?"

"Your throat is still bleeding. Stay still I'll take care of it."

"There is no time. We need to go after Edgard."

"This will take just a second. Mind yourself, this may hurt a bit." Cynder said and licked Spyro's cutwound with some of her poison. Spyro hissed a bit but tried to stay still and bleeding stopped.

"Now we can go" Cynder said and turned around

"Cynder?" Spyro said.

"Yes?" Cynder looked behind her.

"Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10: Smoke

Chapter 10 - Smoke

"Thank you."

"It is at least I can do for you" Cynder grinned and flapped her wings and lifted herself above ground and flew atop of mushrooms. Spyro did the same.

"Oh brother... this rate they gonna kill me from exhaust. Spyro wait up!" Sparx yelled after Spyro and flew after him.

"So tell me why you must be hero all the time?" Sparx asked as he got near Spyro.

"Is there something wrong about that?"

"YES! All I want to relax and eat butterflies and stuff but no... You must help everyone you come up with. And what about that rangerthingie? In case you have forgotten he almost killed you!" Sparx protested anxious.

"I know, but he didn't mean to shoot me."

"How you can be so sure about that?"

"I've seen him in my dreams and he was friendly."

"Dreams you say? Well that is the most pathetic reason I've ever heard." Sparx ended. Spyro sighed and looked down in case he could see Edgard or footprints of orcs.

"Cynder you see anything?"

"Not yet. Wait. I think I see footprints down there, I'll go check it out." Cynder said and decended just above ground.

"These are theirs prints allright and they're heading north-east" Cynder said as she rose above mushrooms again. They followed trace orcs where leaving and regularly checked prints on ground to be sure they where heading into right way. After half an hour Sparx where about to faint due of speed dragons kept up what made Sparx exhausted.

"Spyro... Buddy... Could we rest for a moment? I cant keep on like this much longer." Sparx said panting heavily.

"There is no time for that, grap on me. Cynder, you said orcs where slow but these are running like mad." Spyro shouted to Cynder who where flying under mushrooms caps. She heard Spyro and flew next to Spyro.

"I meant they are slow in reflexes and speed during fight but they can run fairly fast and whole day as well." Cynder replied.

"So there is a change they might even get away?"

"Not that fast. We should catch them up in a few minutes." Cynder said before she dived under mushrooms again.

"would you mind?" Sparx panted.

"Sorry Sparx." Spyro replied and slowed down a bit so Sparx could grap Spyro from his horn. Spyro decided to climb higher to see surroundings better. He looked carefully around and noticed that vegetation where changing slowly. Mushrooms got smaller and smaller, Ground where more drier and grass began to grow more dense. As he looked far ahead he noticed smoke rising few miles away and Edgar has ran directly at it. Spyro got worried this new fact and decended just above Cynder who flied over caps again.

"I think were coming edge of this swamp pretty soon and I saw smoke far ahead, several smoketrails and Edgard has taken ranger directly at it." Spyro said.

"That must be a camp Edgard was talking about. How far smokes where?"

"two, maybe three.."

"If we cant find Edgard right now I fear he's already in there."

"Should we check it out?" Spyro asked.

"NO!" Sparx shouted.

"Yes we should. Ranger should be in there. But we better wait till night or they will surely spot us." Cynder replied to Spyro.

"What about missing orcs? I am pretty certain orcs in camp will in few hours to wonder where they are."

"We have to take risk. If we're lucky they wont even notice them missing, they're quite arrogant and selfish creatures." Cynder replied and began to land on mushroom what where slightly higher than others. Spyro circled around and landed on same mushroom.

"Finally... Aghhhhh..." Sparx said relieved and dropped himself on mushroom.

"That exhausted?" Spyro glanced Sparx

"No, far more." Sparx said resting on his belly.

"Coming think of it you should be in better shape than me when it comes to flying."

"That is just because you happen to be purple freak." Sparx said raising his hand with single finger pointing up before it collapsed back down. Spyro shook his head and glanced over Cynder who stared carefully smokes rising in horizon.

"So are there anything else we should know about these orcs?" Spyro asked. Cynder didn't hear Spyro trough her consecration. Spyro waited for a minute before he poked Cynder carefully to her shoulder with his pawn. Cynder turned her head towards Spyro with questioning expression.

"What?" She asked.

"Is there anything else what is good to know about these orcs?" Spyro asked again. Cynder thought for a moment.

"No, not really. Nothing what comes to my mind now." Cynder said and turned her attention back on horizon. Spyro turned his eyes towards horizon as well. He looked carefully smokes rising few miles away and wondered how huge that camp would be and if ranger would be in there, then where they could held him. 'Ranger... Who he really is and why he where scared of us? What is he? Why I have had dreamed about him?' Spyro tried to find solution to these troubling questions and he lost his track on time. He just glanced blindly into horizon. Suddenly he felt someone poking him to his shoulder. Spyro shook his head and came aware about his surroundings again and turned his head into direction where he has been poked from and he saw Cynder worried about something.

"Cynder? What is it?"

"Are you allright Spyro? You have been like that for almost 2 hours. I spoke to you but you remain silent and still. I even flapped my wing front of your eyes."

"Oh... I just thought about that ranger and tried to figure what his case actually is. Sorry if I made you worry so much." Spyro answered. Cynder sighed and looked away. Spyro fell into his thoughts again but where snapped out of it pretty soon as he heard his name being called.

"Oh Spyrooo..." Cynder said with teasing voice.

"Huh?" Spyro turned his head and saw Cynder with half closed eyes, huge grin and her tail waving from side to side and positioned herself like small kitty what where about to leap.

"Is there som-UHH!" Spyro Speech where cut on short as Cynder leaped on him. She pushed her pawns against Spyro's shoulders and shoved Spyro on his back with one fast move. Cynder stood atop on Spyro her nozzle against Spyro's nozzle with dreamy eyes. Spyro looked Cynder Eyes wide open trying to figure out what just happened.

"Spyro... " Cynder whispered. Just at the moment Spyro where about to open his mouth to say something Cynder gave long passionable kiss and she wrapped her tail around blushed Spyro's tail. Spyro felt his feeling towards Cynder rising up again. Unwilling to hide them, Spyro closed his eyes and answered to Cynder's kiss. The kiss didn't last even a minute when Sparx flew up from below mushrooms and glanced over Cynder with first Chocked then Hatred.

"Oh That's why you sent me down for looking something what wasn't down there!" Sparx shouted to Cynder. Cynder wasn't surprised that Sparx has interrupted her and she just rose her head and grinned to Spyro.

"I leave for one moment and you go all out! Now let go of him!" Sparx continued angry.

"It was good long as it lasted" Cynder whispered

"No, who said it ended?." Spyro whispered back and kissed Cynder briefly.

"Oh you two are just unbelievable." Sparx said as he slapped his head. Cynder turned her head towards Sparx.

"Are you jealous?" Cynder asked with dreamy eyes when Spyro kissed her sheet.

"Jealous? Me? NO! I just cant stand Spyro being with devious black n' evil she-dragon of ultimate doom just like yourself!" Sparx shouted angry.

"That is called jealousy." Cynder said and kissed Spyro again.

"Arrrhhh... In case you have forgotten we are here for a reason other than THAT! And even that is far more better reason to be here even I would like to get away from here, far from here!" Sparx tried to reason, but his speech went into deaf ears as two young dragons continued kissing eachother. Sparx flew down on nearby mushroom once again defeated murmuring for himself.

"That that Cynder... Arrh! If I would be bigger I would--" Sparx silent himself when he heard steps below him. Sparx looked over cap carefully and saw lone orc scouting area.

"Great... that is everything we needed now." Sparx said to himself and flew back to two dragons and interrupted their kissing ritual.

"Hey, Stop that. We're not alone in here." Sparx said quietly but either Spyro or Cynder heard him.

"I was talking to you two. Stop that." Sparx said again a bit louder. No effect. Sparx got frustrated and slapped Cynder. Cynder broke her kiss at instant and gave murdering glance to Sparx. Spyro snapped out as well and looked over Sparx and frown.

"Good. You awoke. In case you two aren't too busy I'd say we need to be hus hus right now."

"What that supposed to mean?" Cynder said with a tone which told she would hurt someone soon and badly.

"There is orc directly below us." Sparx said quietly. Cynder anger vanished in a instant and Cynder got off Spyro quietly And Spyro got up carefully. They all remained silent for a few minutes and at the moment they believed danger was over they chocked as they felt mushroom trebling a bit under their pawns. First Spyro thought they have been discovered but heard loud groan below and orc talking to himself angry. Spyro looked down and saw orc kicking another mushroom nearby.

"This is stupid. I've scouting this stinking swamp for over two weeks! All I wanted to get some sleep but no! Boss ordered to scout a bit more... mrr... Well at least we got that thing he wanted so badly so we should be able to get out of here pretty soon... I think that overconfident bastard can..." orc voice vanished into distance as he walked away. Spyro sighed in relief and turned to others.

"That was a bit too close." Spyro said

"You don't say. I think I deserve a thanks right about now." Sparx said confident. Two dragons remained silent for a moment.

"Well?" Sparx said becoming anxious.

"Thanks Sparx. "Spyro said and shook his head. Cynder rolled her eyes and was a about turn away.

"I am waiting Cynder." Sparx said demanding. Cynder looked Sparx with annoyance.

"Thanks." She said and turned around.

"I didn't hear that." Sparx tried to irritate Cynder once again. Cynder turned her head slowly and gave most threatening glance she knew on Sparx

"Don't try your luck or you might regret it." Cynder said in low tune. Sparx confidence began to turn anxious one.

"I am still waiting" Sparx still tried to tease Cynder out. Cynder turned around slowly and walked towards him threatening manner which made Sparx feel something bad was about happen. Sparx began turn terrified and his eyes went wider with every step Cynder took. As Cynder moved her head just inch away from Sparx he where trebling a bit and cold sweat came on his head.

"Boo." Cynder whispered.

"AAH!" Sparx shouted and flew at panic behind Spyro.

"Okokokokokokok I heard you! Glad to be a assistance! Now keep distance please!". Sparx said behind Spyro still in panic. Cynder looked Spyro with satisfied grin and Spyro grinned as well, trying to hold his laugh.


	11. Chapter 11: Camp

Chapter 11 - Camp

"Okokokokokokok I heard you! Glad to be a assistance! Now keep distance please!". Sparx said behind Spyro still in panic. Cynder looked Spyro with satisfied grin and Spyro grinned as well, trying to hold his laugh.

"Hehe I think you overdid yourself this time Sparx" Spyro said amused

"Not funny!" Sparx replied sharp.

"But it was."

"Not!" Sparx shouted. Spyro shook his head and turned his eyes on Cynder still smiling.

"well I think Sparx got one of his endless lessons for today don't you think?" Spyro said

"Well that is totally up to him if you ask me." Cynder replied grinning as she approached Spyro.

"No... stay away from me!" Sparx shouted behind Spyro. Cynder came next to Spyro and gave brief kiss to Spyro's sheet before she lad herself on cap resting and glancing smokes in distance.

"So what you think?" Cynder asked. Spyro laid himself next to Cynder looking same direction.

"I think rescuing that ranger is going to be difficult."

"That's true but I meant did you come up in anything special about him. You said you have had dreamed about him."

"Yes I have. Well it ain't much really but what I do remember is that he is a friend. I know it ain't much but I know that is true."

"I hope you're right. I wonder why these orcs wants him so badly, having all the trouble bringing so huge group here just because of him. He is skilled and dangerous but other than that I don't see any reason them of chasing him down." Cynder said wondering. Spyro remained silent and tried to remember his vision/dream considering ranger.

"Knowledge." Spyro Said. Cynder looked Spyro wondering what he meant.

"What you mean?"

"I just remembered, he said he had secrets in my dream."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Nothing I can rememberer of." Spyro lowered his head.

"Don't worry, we'll rescue him soon enough. Look, sun is already setting. Few hours and we can go." Cynder said. They glanced how sun where setting below horizon and prepared themself for rescue. As sky became dark Spyro and Cynder took off on mushroom and flew slowly few hundred meters away from closest tent. They have exit from swamp and no cover from curious eyes where present. grass grew as high as their chest and calm wind waved them slightly. They crept together carefully, shadow to shadow avoiding light emitted by small campfires.

"Could you do something about that glow of yours?" Cynder whispered to Sparx

"Sorry." Sparx said as his glow dimmed slowly. Spyro crawled to nearest tent and glanced briefly inside the camp and pulled his head back.

"Looks like most of the orcs are sleeping but there are few around those campfires and fewer patrolling area. We need to be careful" Spyro whispered to others. Cynder and Sparx nodded.

"Now!" Spyro whispered and they creep behind other tent. Spyro looked around the corner again and walked slowly around it and Cynder followed him.

"Down!" Spyro whispered and they all went low as possible. orc guard came second later behind corner and walked just next to them and looked around, but didn't notice Spyro nor Cynder as he looked too far ahead. orc groaned and walked away. Cynder stood up and looked behind the corner where orc went back. Seeing him continuing his walk towards one of the many campfires she decided to sneak to the next tent about 20 meters away. Spyro looked at the guard as well before he went after Cynder.

"Look over there Spyro. That tent has guards front of it. You think that is the place they're keeping him?" Cynder whispered as Spyro slowly came next to her

"There is only one way to find out." Spyro said as he was about to creep next tent near guarded tent but he pulled himself back as he saw one orc sitting just behind the very same tent's corner they where hiding behind.

"We cant get trough here, orc blocks our way." Spyro whispered and went on opposite corner and looked around only pulling himself back again quickly and gave serious look on Cynder.

"Guard is coming right here!" Spyro whispered eyes wide open.

"Oh no... We must get away from here" Cynder whispered back and where about to lift herself on her wings

"No! They spot us if we do." Spyro whispered stopping Cynder's intents.

"They spot us if we stay!" Cynder protested

"They will not spot you two... as for me..." Sparx said and flew behind corner right at approaching guard.

"Nonono Sparx!" Both Cynder and Spyro whispered but too late. Sparx flew determined towards walking orc and began glow again. Guard stopped and looked at the approaching light.

"Who goes there?" orc groaned but Sparx flew just front of his eyes. They both glanced each other for a moment.

"You're ugliest firefly I've ever seen." orc said with groan.

"And you are ugliest dummbag I have ever seen." Sparx said, gave ugly gesture back and flew away.

"Why you...!" orc Groaned loudly and ran after Sparx. Loud voice orc made made nearby guards gather around and wonder what was going on as they saw one of them chasing and waving his club towards what seemed to be flying yellow ball.

"Quiet there! I'm trying to sleep!" One orc shouted inside tent nearby. Spyro and Cynder realised their opportunity has came as they noticed guards guarding the tent leaving their posts. Spyro crept ahead of Cynder from behind unaware orcs into tent what where guarded properly moment ago. As they entered inside and their eyes adjusted to dark they saw someone behind centerpole back towards them. Spyro and Cynder walked slowly around the pole and saw ranger hand tied up with chains behind his back and around the pole. Both Spyro and Cynder startled as they heard loud snore nearby, they looked over where noise came and they saw Edgard himself sleeping just behind them smirking for some reason. Spyro sighed relief and turned to see ranger. Just when Spyro tried to look closer ranger open his eyes and rose his head slowly. Spyro startled first but looked closer ranger as ranger where confused for first about his presence and then his eyes widened as he saw Cynder nearby. Spyro understood that he was at least confused.

"We are getting you out from here." Spyro whispered unsure would creature understand him. Creature seemed to understand that they where secretly in tent and he should keep quiet but unsure why, as far his expression told to Spyro. Spyro circled behind ranger and Cynder took better look for ranger with serious face. She moved her head close ranger head, stared directly into his eyes and sniffed once, twice, ranger moved his head back a little with every sniff she took. Cynder looked ranger with narrowed eyes.

"If you ever, ever again hurt Spyro again you're good as dead." Cynder whispered with cold tone.

"A lock. I can break it but that will wake up Edgard and melting it could hurt ranger." Spyro whispered from behind pole.

"Then we must find the key." Cynder whispered and looked around. Spyro started to search as well. When Spyro got front of ranger he heard him whispering something and looked ranger.

"Tuolla, Avain on tuolla." Ranger whispered and pointed his eyes on Edgards gear on ground. Cynder stopped her search and followed Spyro with her eyes as she saw Spyro walking towards Edgard's gear and Edgard himself nearby. He looked over his stuff but did not find key or anything extraordinary and he looked back at ranger who just nodded. Spyro looked Edgard's equipment again and took huge warhammer between his jaws and tried to lift it carefully so he could access other his equipment but hammer was heavier then he thought and he slipped it on one of many armours lying down with loud bang. All three's eyes got wide and they all looked sleeping Edgard who where getting up.

"What? Who dare interrupt my sleep!" Edgard said as he stood up and his eyes narrowed as he saw two dragons staring at him.

"You two!" Edgard groaned loud and took his huge sword next to his bed. 'Now or never' Spyro thought and ran behind pole and blasted lock into pieces with earthblast. Ranger felt chains getting loose and he freed himself quickly, ran to his equipment pile and took few knifes and short sword. Cynder on meanwhile stood front of Edgard trying to buy some time

"This is the last mistake you make in your pathetic life of yours!" Edgard roared and swung his huge sword downwards. Cynder leaped right and just in the moment she landed Edgard Swung his sword again. Cynder duck and sword went above her head inch away and hit central pole behind her instead cutting it to two pieces which made whole tent starting to collapse.

"Time to go!" Spyro Shouted as he saw tent collapsing around them. Ranger ran outside first and Spyro ran after him.

"Cynder now!" Spyro shouted at the moment he ran outside. Cynder looked behind after she has dodged one of orcleader's furious attacks. Edgard continued his mindless attacks against Cynder and he didn't notice tent collapsing at all. Cynder turned around and ran outside. Edgard tried to run after her but in the same moment tent fell on him.

"You Ain't getting away from this long as my name is Edgard The Strongarm! RAAAR!" Edgard roared loudly as he tore tent's roof and freed himself from inside the what used to be tent. all the nearby orcs where gathered around their leader's tent and glanced on three fugitives, some of them confused, some of them angry.

"You're not going anywhere!" Edgard groaned eyes narrowed as Spyro, Cynder and Ranger prepared to the worst.


	12. Chapter 12: Runaway

Chapter 12 - Runaway

"You're not going anywhere!" Edgard groaned eyes narrowed as Spyro, Cynder and Ranger prepared to the worst. Both Spyro and Cynder understood they would escape rather easily by just flying off but ranger would not last a minute against orcs by himself so they both decided to fight their way out.

"We can't just fight against them, there are too many of them and by doing so we risk ranger as well." Spyro said to Cynder.

"Then what you would suggest?" Cynder asked looking left and right. Few orcs began to approach them but they halted as Edgard rose his hand.

"No... they're mine..." Edgard groaned quietly before he brought his sword before him.

"Take this as a honour you prats. When you fall by my hand, chief gives me whole battalion of orcs to my command and I get back what is rightfully ours. SOMETHING YOU CYNDER STOLE FROM US AND GAVE TO PATHETIC APES!" Edgard Groaned loudly and began to ran towards her. Cynder leaped sideways when Edgard swung his sword with such rage you could actually hear sharp blade cutting trough air.

"Spyro! Get ranger out from here! I'll hold this Berserk!" Cynder shouted as she tried to keep distance from raging Edgard. Spyro looked surrounding orcs and realised all the fighting sounds made more and more curious orcs gather around. 'No good... if we wont go out from here at once we might not have a change later.' Spyro thought for himself. Ranger swept surrounding orcs slowly with his eyes trying to find easiest way out. His eyes locked up into small hole in orc circle and he tapped Spyro carefully to top of his head. Spyro looked up at Ranger and turned his eyes where Ranger where staring at. At the same time Cynder unleashed her shadowy firebreath on Edgard which Edgard barely dodged, recovered almost at instant Edgard continued swung his huge sword on Cynder. Cynder saw opening on Edgards defence and she took advance of it as she shoved Edgard's legs with her tail and made Edgard fell on ground.

"Hurry up!" She shouted to Spyro before she turned her head back on Edgard. Cynder eyes shot wide as she saw Edgard up again and already swinging his sword down on her. She barely dodged it by leaping right. Edgard hit the sword hard on ground and sword embed over two feets into ground and he tried to pull it out. Cynder saw her opportunity and lanced towards Edgard to deliver headpunch. Unluckily Edgard noticed Cynder's doings and hit her hard with his strong fist to her cheek. Cynder groaned from pain briefly as she crashed on ground few meters away from Edgard.

"CYNDER!" Spyro shouted as he saw Cynder being hit. Just as he where about to step into their fight Cynder got up, shook her head and glanced on Spyro briefly.

"I'm fine. You must leave NOW!" She shouted before she turned against Edgard once again who just pulled his sword out from ground. Spyro puzzled for a moment should he help Cynder out or do what she told. He didn't think that long as Ranger pulled his knife to his left arm and threw it on one of the orcs in circle and brief second later orc groaned in pain as knife has hit to orc's chest and emped all the way to tilt. Spyro alerted from ranger action and decided to help him get away from camp but in deep himself he was worried would Cynder hold out long enough. Spyro unleashed fireball on group next to fallen orc while Ranger took his short sword on his right hand and began to ran towards where fireball where flying into. First row's orcs ducked on ground as they saw fireball incoming but few unlucky behind them didn't see upcoming in time and their eyes shot wide just the moment fireball hit them, causing big explosion and sending tight group of orcs flying to different directions. Before other orcs realised what happened ranger have already ran trough from just formed hole and swung his short sword cutting one orc's troth who where just recovering from blast and ranger continued his run.

"FOOLS! DONT LET THAT CREATURE GET AWAY! GO AFTER IT!" Edgard shouted furiously and tried to run after ranger too but Cynder stepped on his way halting him. Spyro ran trough hole as well just before over half the camp run after him and the creature.

"RUN!" Spyro shouted to ranger. Ranger looked over his shoulder while running and gasped as he saw over 70 orcs running after him, or what he thought he saw.

"En pysty hätistämään heitä!" Ranger shouted back and ran like wind, his ropes fluttering. Spyro lifted himself on air. 'Oh no... we're running to wrong direction. Swamp is behind us!' Spyro thought as he saw nothing but plains ahead and he flew next to ranger.

"Keep running! I'll slow them down!" Spyro shouted to ranger and circled around towards chasing orcs and breath fire on ground creating small firewall on their path. orcs halted for a moment before they began to circle around firewall. Thinking he has bought enough time to go check on Cynder he flew fast as he could to Cynder who where busy keeping Edgard off from chase.

"You incompetent fool! Who you're working for!?" Edgard groaned loudly as he swung his sword horizontally.

"For No-one!" Cynder shouted after she have dodged Edgard's attack by jumping backwards.

"Hah! You think I believe you? You work for Dark Master!" Edgard groaned before he raised his sword above his head. Just at the moment he swung his sword downwards, large fireball hit him directly to his chest. Edgard groaned in pain as he flew on his tent's remains. Cynder turned her head where fireball had came and she smiled when she saw Spyro coming.

"Time to go Cynder! Ranger needs our help!" Spyro shouted before he turned around and flew after ranger and chasing orcs. Cynder flapped her wings and lunged towards Edgard who where recovering from blast and slashed him to his head with her tail, causing long cutwound going across his face. Edgard groaned from pain as he hold his face. Cynder didn't wait to see results of her attack, instead she flew after Spyro.

"This is not over yet Cynder! Mark my words... It's far from it." Edgard groaned when he saw Cynder leaving.

Spyro Flew as fast as he could and after a moment he saw ranger still running for his life and several dozen orcs gaining him. Ranger breathed heavily as he ran on his limits, legs becoming more numb and more unresponsive every passing second.

"Olisi vain pitäny harjoitella kun siihen oli vielä mahdollisuus..." Ranger whispered to himself while his speed where decreasing because of exhaust. Spyro Bombarded chasing orcs from above with fireballs, sending small groups of orcs fly around randomly with yells but even if bombardment slowed them down a bit they where still gaining on ranger. Seeing that ranger where running on his very limits and he could collapse any second now Spyro unleashed his last fireball on leading group of orcs and lunged over ranger. Not giving much thought what to do Spyro tried to grab ranger from his shoulders and tried to lift him up but he couldn't lift him on air more than few feets before he lost his grip. Ranger fell on ground on his knees gasping for lack of air, unable to run any further. orcs where just few dozen meters away and you could see their murderous expressions against twin moon's light and how moonslight reflected from their helmets and swords which few of them had. Cynder flew across orcs' path and breathed her poisonous mist creating green thick poisonous cloud between ranger and orcs. Few orcs tried to come trough the mist but they coughed violently and turned back. Cynder landed next to Spyro.

"That mist stays there only few seconds before wind blows it away. We need get going!" Cynder said.

"I cant lift him up alone, he's too heavy!" Spyro said quickly.

"Then we need to carry him together!" Cynder responded and glanced behind her briefly noticing poison mist where already becoming thinner.

"You take left arm, I take this one!" Cynder continued and Spyro nodded. Cynder grasped ranger from his right arm with both of her pawns tightly. Ranger hissed from pain as Cynder's claws went trough ranger's clothes and embed slightly trough his skin as well. Spyro took ranger's left arm tightly as well but more gently, causing no wounds.

"One, two, three!" Cynder counted and they flapped their wings fast and lifted ranger above ground rising slowly. First orcs has managed to run trough thin mist and tried to hit ranger with their clubs and swords but missed his legs few inches as he was already too high. Lifting ranger turn out to be more difficult as both Spyro and Cynder thought as they didn't have much room for their wings as they collided with eachother with almost every flap, but they managed to fly higher.

"Where to? Back to swamp?" Cynder asked.

"I don't think so. To get there we should go over their camp and I think we have seen Edgard too much already and going around it takes too much time. No, we need gain distance from orcs and fast." Spyro said while looking down on growing group of orcs who where roaring loudly and waving their weapons.

"Ok. If I remember right there is a river few miles away. If we fly over it it buys us more time as they need to get over it somehow. There we can lose them. This way!" Cynder answered and two dragons began carry ranger towards river. orcs began to follow them from below and where keeping up with them. Ranger face where twisted from pain Cynder where causing to him but he where still too exhausted and too aware from fact that they had saved him so he didn't complain about it and tried to manage with it as best he could.

"Kiitos..." Ranger said quietly.


	13. Chapter 13: Saphire river

Chapter 13 – Sapphire river

"Kiitos..." Ranger said quietly. Spyro and Cynder agreed they would not fly fast until they reach river because even if they tried fly faster they would not gain any extra distance from orcs and therefore it would be only waste of energy. They flew calmly with speed which forced orcs to run below them.

"HEY GUYS! WAIT UP!" Sparx shouted from distance. Spyro turned his head slightly to direction where shout came and he sighed in relief as he saw yellow lightorb coming closer.

"You seem to have big fanclub down there." Sparx said and pointed down when he caught up with dragons.

"Yeah. Things didn't go quite as we planned." Spyro replied.

"You don't say... If I recall rescue should have been hus hus and out style. What happened?" Sparx asked.

"Well, after you left we managed to sneak into tent where ranger where kept but while searching the keys to ranger's chains Edgard awoke and I blasted lock instead and we fled in a rush..." Spyro began to explain.

"Oi, why didn't you blast it out in a first place?" Sparx cut in.

"Edgard would have been awoken from sound it could have caused. Anyway we had fought our way out and during our runaway ranger got exhausted and where unable to continue any further so now we're carrying him." Spyro ended.

"And what you where doing meanwhile?" Cynder asked keeping her eyes over horizon.

"Nothing much. Pissing off random orcs and running away from murderous one, the usual.

"How you found us?" Spyro asked

"How I would have not found you? You left whole camp in disarray and half camp running somewhere... you don't need detective's skills to figure out who they where after." Sparx said and flew closer their new companion to see him face to face. Sparx stared on ranger and startled when ranger rose his head and looked back.

"Woa! A little creepy aren't you?" Sparx said but ranger just glanced on him, moving his eyes as he studied Sparx carefully with his eyes.

"Ok... forget what I just said. THAT is creepy." Sparx stated and flew back next to Spyro.

"Not very talkative is he?" Sparx asked.

"I'd say he didn't understand a word you said to him."

"Is that so?" Sparx said while rubbing his chin and flew back to ranger.

"Hey creepy one, you know you look kinda weak and stuff. I mean you ran for like 10 minutes and you got exhausted? Even I can run longer with my hands than that." Sparx continued insulting ranger who didn't have a clue what small dragonfly said to him.

"Anteeksi, mutten ymmärrä mitä sanot." Ranger replied and figured out from Sparx' tone he was using that he was being insulted from something. Ranger rose one of his eyebrows.

"Sparx. You should stop that." Cynder said.

"Oh why doomgirl?" Sparx said and continued throwing insults on ranger.

"What if and when he learns our language and what if he remembers what you said just now? I bet he won't be too happy about that." Cynder continued and grinned, imaging how ranger would do his little payback.

"What you mean? You say we stick around with this hideous assassin?" Sparx asked in disbelieve

"At least until he is safe." Spyro answered

"Oi, now you say that." Sparx finished.

Spyro and Cynder flew trough night sky over endless plains and orcs followed them beneath them tireless. Minutes turned to hours and river where nowhere to be seen. Twin moon's light came dimmer as sky brightened up slowly and first sings of rising sun could be seen up south first colouring horizon red then yellow before edge of the sun rose high enough to be seen.

"Are we there yet?" Sparx said bored from up Spyro's horn where he has took rest from flight. Spyro sighed and didn't reply. Sparx has asked very same question for at least 30 times.

"If we don't come to river soon we need to come up with something good. I cant fly like this forever and my pawns is coming numb." Spyro said slightly panting.

"It can't be far away. It just can't, I'm sure of it." Cynder answered becoming worried. 'We should have reached that river hours ago. What if I remember wrong? What we should do?' Cynder thought. It has been almost 4 weeks since Cynder saw landscape from high above when they fled Convexity and Cynder had hardly have time to look sights more carefully. Spyro saw Cynder troubled expression on her.

"Don't worry. If there is a river I am sure we reach it soon enough, Together." Spyro tried to sheer her up. Cynder turned her head towards Spyro and gave faint smile.

"Thanks." She said

"Anytime." Spyro finished. After three hours, when sun has climbed higher at sky and trees began to grow on plains but only here and there they grew as groups, making miniature forests and ground began to turn more hilly and made dragons work harder as they needed climb higher and fly lower to rest their wings after climbs according elevations differences. Orcs still followed them with no sight of becoming tired from their chase. When dragons began to lose their hopes of their escape Spyro noticed something blue wimple between hills and he smiled from relief as he realised what that was, River.

"Look! Up there! I can see river slightly left from us!" Spyro Said as hope shot back into him. Cynder looked where Spyro where staring at and She sighed from relief as well.

"Finally... Let's go there!" Cynder answered and they both turned directly towards river. As they flew closer the river they got exited despite exhaust from the view. River seemed to came far from snowtipped mountains and went far wimpling between hills onto opposite direction. Calm water in the wide river reflected sky's blue light making it look like huge long sapphire.

"I know you are tired from hours of flying but when we get close enough we need fly like we have never before if we're going to get away from them." Cynder said serious and panting after she stopped admiring the view.

"You're right. I just hope we manage to get enough distance from them. Luckily here is some hills so it's harder to them keep tracking on us." Spyro answered.

As the river came closer they intuitively began fly faster. When shore where about few hundred meters away they prepared mentally to fly as fast as possible.

"Ready?" Spyro asked.

"Ready!" Cynder Answered

"Not!" Sparx shouted and grasped Spyro once again from his horn

"Now I am ready." Sparx finished.

"NOW!" Spyro shouted and they dived to gain extra speed and pulled up few meters above ground and began flap their wings strongly. Orcs paced up their speed as well when they saw dragons descend fast but failed to catch up dragons as they flew too fast and whole group halted to shore and groaned loudly after the fleeing dragons. Spyro and Cynder flew above crystal clear river and fishes could be easily seen in it as they lived their undisrupt live. Gulfs and other birds living around river fled as they saw dragons flying above river. When they got to other side of the wide river Sparx looked behind.

"See you later losers!" Sparx shouted

"Let's keep flying low and turn north after that hill and circle around after hill behind it and go south instead. That way they might think we are heading north instead." Cynder said panting and Spyro just nodded. First orcs began to swim across the river with their heavy equipment which made swimming really slow while others still argued should they follow them or not. Minutes passed as they followed their plan and they began to get really exhausted and sweat. They has just circled around second hill and where now heading back to south. Spyro shook his head and sweatdrips fell off.

"I can't keep up with this much longer... We need to land very soon." Spyro said heavily breathing.

"I know but we need to fly long as possible" Cynder answered really exhausted as well. Spyro's pawns has become almost totally numb from carrying ranger but he thought grip would hold until they have landed safely. But after few minutes Spyro began to lose his grip on ranger's arm and Spyro didn't feel that trough numbness of his pawns.

Ranger glanced worried on Spyro when he felt he was losing grip on him.

"Hei! Otteesi kirpoaa!" Ranger Said loudly to Spyro. Both Spyro and Cynder looked down on ranger.

"What?" Spyro asked and at the same moment he lost his grip on ranger.

"NO!" Spyro shouted eyes wide. Cynder fought against sudden extraweight she was now carrying as hard she could. She tighten her grip on ranger's right arm, emping her claws even deeper into his arm but ranger's weight made her claws slide, cutting his arm slowly. Ranger yelled from pain and his cape's sleeve turned red from blood.

"AAAHH!! ALAS ALAS ALAS!" Ranger shouted from pain. Cynder tried to land fast as she could while Spyro tried to offer his pawn to ranger but ranger missed his pawn several times with his hand. After Cynder felt ranger weight disappear, telling her he has his feets on ground, she let to of him and landed next to ranger and dropped herself on her side breathing heavily and sweating all over. Spyro landed next to her. Ranger where holding his hand face twisted from pain.

"Are you okay?" Spyro asked from Cynder still panting.

"I... *pant* I am fine... *pant*" Cynder said while trying to catch her breath. Spyro heard some cloth being tore up and he turned around to see ranger and Spyro gasped as he saw ranger's revealed badly bleeding wounds on his right arm. Ranger wrapped piece of cloth around his arm few inches before wounds and tighten cloth by using his left arm and his mouth in order to stop or at least limit bloodflow into his arm. As he has tied cloth tightly bleeding reduced significantly but where still bleeding a bit. He took knife and cleaned it to his cape before he brought it against his wounds and began to clean all the dirt which has made their way into wound and he shivered from pain every time he emped his knife into each claw-wound carefully.

"Please make him stop that. That makes me feel sick." Sparx said holding his hand before his mouth and turned away. After ranger was done with that he dropped bloodstained knife on ground and tore up another piece of cloth out from his cape and wrapped it on the wounds thigh. Spyro walked onfront of ranger, looked his wounded hand and then on ranger's face.

"I am sorry I dropped you like that." Spyro said troupled but ranger looked at him direcly into his eyes and smiled faintly.

"Ei tässä mitenkää pahasti käynyt. Yritit parhaasi ja kiitollinen minun pitäisi olla. Kiitos." Ranger said with clear voice and nodded and then he stood up and walked over Cynder and bended down. Cynder looked up at him puzzling what he was up to and looked him a bit disgust as he took her pawn gently into his hand.

"Kiitos sinullekkin vaikka matkan loppuvaihe olikin hieman kivulias. Pelastitte henkeni." Ranger said warmly. Cynder pulled her pawn back and ranger tilted his head a bit and sneered briefly before he stood up. He turned around to see Sparx.

"En tiedä mikä sinun osuutesi tässä pelastusoperaatiossa oli mutta kiitos sinullekkin." Ranger said

"Spyro, you know what he just said?" Sparx asked from Spyro

"Not a clue. But I think he is thanking us." Spyro answered. Ranger then turned towards two dragons.

"Toivon että olisimme tavanneet paremmissa merkeissä, mutta örkit eivät ole teidän perässä vaan minun joten katson parhaaksi että jätän teidät. Kiitos ja hyvästi." Ranger said slowly, turned around and began to walk away.

"No wait! We don't know your name!" Spyro shouted after ranger. Ranger stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Her name is Cynder, his name is Sparx and my name is Spyro". Spyro said pointing each one with his pawn and repeated it twice to make sure ranger would understand what he was saying and finally he pointed ranger.

"What is your name?" Spyro asked. Ranger turned his head forward for a moment and then looked over his shoulder again.

"Markus." Ranger said and began to walk away.


	14. Chapter 14: Small talk

Chapter 14 – Small talk

"Markus." Ranger said and began to walk away.

"Markus? Markus wait!" Spyro shouted again but ranger didn't react and kept walking.

"Let him go Spyro. He clearly has a good reason to leave us." Cynder said as she got up.

"We saved him and now he thinks our best by leaving us." Cynder continued while walking next to Spyro. Spyro looked after ranger as he walked into distance. Spyro sighed and turned towards Cynder.

"I suppose you're right Cynder. It is just I would liked to know him better." Spyro said a bit sadness in his voice.

"I know you wanted but he has made his decision. Come on, Lets find a place to rest. We have flew whole night." Cynder said and began to walk into one of the many tiny dense forests on root of hill. Spyro glanced behind one last time to see ranger but he was already gone. He sighed again and walked after Cynder. Trees where relatively young, highest only 7 meters tall and most trees where birches while there was few smaller spruces here and there creating nice covers from sun. Cynder went ahead under one small spruce and sat down and Spyro sat next to her.

"We need to keep watch in case orcs finds us here while resting. Could you take the first watch? Im both exhausted and dead tired." Cynder said sleepy.

"Okay, I'll take first watch." Spyro said and before he could turn around Cynder kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." Cynder said before she laid herself down. Put one pawn on another and laid her head on her forelegs and fell into sleep rather quickly regardless of the brightness. Spyro smiled and turned away and began his watch.

"What about you Sparx? You should take some rest too." Spyro said but Sparx didn't answer.

"Sparx?" Spyro asked and looked around. He couldn't see him but he heard faint snore somewhere above. Spyro looked up and saw Sparx sleeping on one of the spruce's branch which moved slowly back and forth with breeze. Spyro sneered and shook his head slightly. Spyro stayed vigilant for almost five hours but as nothing happened at all and long yesterday and night demanded it's payment, Spyro began nodding, moving between edge of being awake and sleep. His eyelids fell down several times and he had force his eyes back open. Spyro shook his head and he realised he needs to wake up next watch before he falls into sleep right there where he sits. Spyro turned around and placed his pawn on Cynder's shoulder and shake her gently. Cynder took deep yawn and opened her eyes slowly.

"I hate to wake you up from good and earned sleep but if I don't get my rest now I fear I fall into asleep on my watch." Spyro said gently but really tired. Cynder rubbed her eyes, stretched her limbs and wings before she got up sitting.

"*Yawn* Okay, I'll continue from here. You can go to sleep." Cynder said still a bit tired. Spyro laid himself down and took comfortable position and began to sleep.

"Spyro?"

"nmhhm... Yeah?" Spyro murmured.

"How long I slept?" Cynder asked.

"For... *yawn* For almost fivenmhmmhm..." Spyro said but fell asleep before he could finish his pharse.

"Sweet dreams Spyro. I love you..." Cynder said with warm voice, smiled and gave kiss on Spyro's cheek before she got up and walked few meters away to keep her watch.

Spyro awoke when Sparx slapped his face and buzzed next to his ear.

"Wake up Spyro, we need to get out from here." Sparx whispered. Spyro yawned and looked on worried Sparx.

"What?" Spyro asked simple and tried to get up but felt something on his back, pushing him back down. Spyro glanced carefully behind. Cynder has fell asleep partly on him, her head, Right foreleg and right wing where resting on his back.

"Looks like Orcs has begun to scout surrounding areas and they have got too close now. Wake up." Sparx whispered again. Spyro shook himself to make Cynder awake.

"Cynder wake up." Spyro whispered. Cynder opened her eyes and yawned.

"What? Is something wrong?" She asked when she saw Sparx worried expression as well.

"Orcs are nearby." Spyro answered. Cynder stood up and freed Spyro under her and started to search threat with her eyes. Spyro stood up as well.

"Where are they?" Cynder asked from Sparx.

"Group of four where edge of that hill just few minutes ago." Sparx said and he pointed towards between two hills free from trees. It was early evening and sky where still quite bright and some clouds started to gather around it.

"We should then head further south. They have somehow realized we didn't head north like we acted we where." Spyro said.

"Let's fly off low altitude before they get this spot into their eyesight again." Cynder said confident and Spyro nodded.

"Let's go" Spyro said after Sparx has taken 'shelder' on his horn again and ran out from miniforest and lifted himself just above ground. Cynder ran after him and lifted herself as well. They flew fast just above ground and hedged few lone trees. Grass under them waved under them as their speed created tiny breeze over them. They have managed to leave unseen, or what dragons thought. One pair of green eyes followed them as they flew away and eyes turned away with groan. Dragons Circled around few hills and kept their general direction on south.

After of hour high speed flying they landed on short grass. Hills have began turn more rocky and more bald and hills began to grow higher and more harder to climb on top. Few withered trees tried to grow here and there. Hills wasn't really that barren but plants had hard time to grow here with exception of grass. bushes where most numerous plants but even their number where limited. Group of deers ate grass in the distance and few brown, grey and white wild horses ran towards the river.

"I think we're far enough from their scouts." Cynder said.

"Yeah, but what now? I would like to go back to temple, even it where wrecked up a bit but it felt home to me. I wonder how Ignitus and others are." Spyro said wondering.

"You know Spyro, I actually miss those old fossils." Sparx said.

"Same here." Spyro said a bit sad

"But we don't know how to get back. I don't know where we even are right now." Cynder said looking around, trying to find even one slightly familiar sign.

"So what we do now?" Sparx asked.

"I'll tell you what we do." Cynder said after her eyes has locked on deers and gave grin.

"Oh blackie has an idea, let's hear it!" Sparx said sarcasticly, trying to tease her out again but Cynder just ignored his insult as she has already got used to them.

"We eat!" Cynder said loudly, gave brief kiss to Spyro

"Try to catch me purple boy!" Cynder shouted as she flapped her wings and flew towards deers, giggling all the way.

"Hey beautiful wait up!" Spyro shouted and flew after her and Sparx was left alone.

"Oh brother, not again... hmm... I wonder what bugs lives in this place?" Sparx said and began to sweep grass front of him with his eyes as he flew slowly after two dragons. Spyro had hard time to catch Cynder as she has always been better than Spyro when it comes to flying. Spyro tried to put all his strength on his wings' flapping and very slowly he gained her up.

"Hey is there something wrong handsome, can't catch me up?" Cynder shouted to Spyro amused.

"You better speed up or I'll will indeed get you!" Spyro shouted back. Cynder giggled and slowed down a bit instead, she wanted to be caught. Spyro began to grin even wider as he began to catch her up. Few seconds before Spyro could caught her Cynder barrelrolled on her back and braked her speed in a instant. Spyros eyes wide as he where about to collide with her in mid-air and he tried to dodge but too late. They collided in mid-air and dropped on ground still fast enough to make them roll together like ball and soon enough they stopped rolling and Spyro ended being ontop of Cynder who where on her back on ground. Spyro shook his head to recover from rolling which leaved his head dazzed.

"Cynder are you allright?" Spyro asked hasty and filled by worry but Cynder just stared back with calm and warm face, smiling at him.

"What you think handsome?" Cynder replied softly.

"Thank the ancestors yo--" Spyro tried to say relieved but where silenced when Cynder gave quick kiss on his mouth

"No Spyro, Thanks to you I am alright. Now could you be kind and move a bit? Our dinner is running away." Cynder said softly. Spyro glanced ahead and saw deers indeed running away. He backed off Cynder and after Cynder has stood up they flew after fleeing deers.

Meanwhile Lone Ranger, Markus, Continued his everending journey towards west. Walking both Slowly and troubled. He has lost his crossbow and had only few knifes left and short sword and if that wouldn't be enough, his right arm has wounded. If he would now face even a smallest group of orcs his days would be met. He tore some of the tall grass while walking and tied around himself and camoflashed himself a bit. He looked rather funny but his odd camouflage would give more protection from eyes than bale grey cape he wore. He hissed a bit when he opened tie of the cloth he has tied on his wounds. bleeding has stopped but wounds was amped. Markus tied his wounds again and glanced over hills and tear came on his cheek. So long He has been alone. Feeling more wild animal than intelligenced being. constantly chased by someone or something, and living only to survive on next day. He sat down on ground in the middle of the grass. It has been so long he had even talked to someone and even if they didn't understand a word it felt good to him. He cursed his bad fortune out loud and began to cry. He was alone again and it felt terrible after he had given a small taste how things should be. Ranger stood up sharply and stared where he had came determined, tears still coming out from his eyes. He decided to reunite with dragons even it would be extremely selfish, Extremely dangerous and would even endanger his saviours but he couldn't be alone any longer. all the years he has been alone, every single day he felt more of a animal, a wild beast struggling to survive, than really himself. He have had enough of that so called live, he wouldn't be really alive if he stay alone and let his instincts lead him. He fought against his survivalinstincts and took first step, then another, slowly reclaiming his real live step by step, more determined after each one he took and anything that tries to block his way from his destiny, would meet his cold steel. He will not be alone, no more. He would reach his saviours or die on trying. Slowly but surely, he began to walk back.

"Ah... that was tasty wouldn't you say?" Spyro said after he and Cynder have finished eating deer unlucky enough to be victim of their hunger.

"Yeah... So what we do now?" Cynder asked.

"Now come to think of it we need somehow find out where we are."

"Well I don't recognize this whole place, none of it." Cynder answered with sad tone

"Hmm... You said you chased off orcs long ago. Where they headed after that?" Spyro asked after a moment.

"Far west over great golden desert, why?"

"That Edgard recognized you didn't he?

"Yes?" Cynder said thinking where he where getting at.

"So he have had seen you during their retreat, so thinking this he have had come over that specific desert you have mentioned ealier. the area you know is..."

"FAR EAST! You're genius!" Cynder shouted overwhelmed from joy and she just simply jumped over Spyro pushing him on ground on his side and began kissing him all over

"Easy now Cynder, I might be wrong. There is no telling where and how long they travelled after that." Spyro tried to make Cynder calm down but he enjoyed Cynder's doings nevertheless. Sparx barged in giving his 'you are so dead' glance on Cynder.

"Doomgirl, that is enough!" Sparx shouted on Cynder who just peered on Sparx for a second, sneered and gave one long passionable kiss to Spyro before she stopped.

"How many times I need to keep telling you this: Keep your Hands or pawns or whatever you have away from Spyro. Got it?" Sparx said anxious.

"Not you or army of you can't keep me away from my love."

"Aha... but that is where you will be wrong, Right Spyro?" Sparx said confided. Spyro got up and looked on Sparx giving his 'I'm sorry' expression.

"Spyro?" Sparx said in disbelief.

"I am sorry Sparx but I love her, I always had. Ever since Hunter freed us from timecrystal." Spyro said slowly.

"You... don't... say..." Sparx said in mixture of confuse, sad and disbelieve.

"Yes Sparx, I love Cynder." Spyro said sad, knowing how hard this where on Sparx. Even Cynder began to feel sorry for Sparx.

"Sparx I--"

"Zip it doomgilr." Sparx said holding his head

"Sparx..." Spyro said worried

"Just... Just leave me alone for a moment would ya?"

"Sparx, brother, take it ea--" Spyro tried to continue.

"Just... Just leave..." Sparx said and flew slowly away from dragons.

"Wow... I've never seen him like that before." Cynder said quietly and worried after Sparx have flew into distance.

"Me either. I hope he will be okay." Spyro said sad.

"You should talk to him." Cynder said after he turned her head towards Spyro

"No... He needs to think his head clear alone." Spyro replied still staring after his brother.


	15. Chapter 15: Long night

Chapter 15 – Long night

"No... He needs to think his head clear alone." Spyro replied still staring after his brother.

"You sure?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah... I fear I would only mess his head up much more."

"But you're his brother... So to speak..." Cynder said thinking word brother.

"Just go to talk with him. It is you he needs now most." Cynder continued and pushed Spyro a bit.

"But I don't know what to say, he might turn meaning of my words upside down and he might become more upset." Spyro said worried.

"Don t worry, just go." Cynder pushed Spyro again. Spyro walked after Sparx and he glanced back on Cynder who just nodded and smiled gently at him. He turned his head back on Sparx who where now sitting on small rock, staring at setting sun. Uncertain what to say Spyro walked slowly next to him, sat down and watched the setting sun on horizon as well.

"Hi brother." Spyro said carefully but warm.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Sparx said sad

"Yeah, it is. Sparx, my dear brother, we need to talk." Spyro begun.

"About her? Forget it Spyro."

"No, not about her. About you and your brother." Spyro said slowly and as friendly as he could. Sparx turned to see Spyro single tear in his eye. Spyro turned his friendly face to Sparx to continue.

"I am your brother am I?" Spyro asked.

"Yes."

"And as a brother you know I do love you?"

"But you and..."

"No Sparx. I love You as my brother and that is something what never will change. If something where to happen to you I would not know what to do." Spyro continued, trying to place every word carefully as he spoke.

"I have shared my youth with you and I would not change that for anything else. If you think Cynder has taken your place in my live you're dead wrong. No-one and I mean no-one could never replace you in my live. Remember when we first came to small pond near our home?" Spyro spoke slowly and warmly. Sparx began smile a bit when he remember what happened then.

"Yeah... I haven't seen you more scared about anything in my whole live but you where scared of water"

"And you remember who helped me to overcome my fears on water?"

"I do. I splatted water on you, trying make you play with me. I never forget how wet I where after our waterwar, you finally used your tail to shove half of the pond on me, it was freezing cold."

"And after that when you got cold, remember?"

"You where curled around me and I used your wing as a blanket while mom got something to ease my flue."

"And you remember how father lectured about cold water? I never forget his face."

"Me either. I could swear he has never been so angry." Sparx said and began to forget his sadness. Two brothers continued to talk eachother for hours. Remembering the old times they spent on their youth. Sun has landed below horizon long ago and stars coloured whole sky with countless white small dots. One of the tvinmoons shoun on sky it's silver light. Wind breezed softly, barely making plants wave.. Cynder has moved under withered tree and waited patient whole time in distance sitting and smiling on Spyro.

"Spyro?" Sparx said finally.

"Yes Sparx?" Spyro said and he was surprised when Sparx hugged him tightly on his neck.

"Thank you." Sparx said eased.

"Thank you my brother." Spyro replied softly and put his pawn gently on Sparx back, just under his wings. After they broke hug Spyro began return to Cynder but he stopped after few steps.

"You're coming?" Spyro asked.

"naah... I come after moment or two." Sparx replied and glanced on moon.

"Don't stay too long." Spyro said and walked to Cynder.

"So how is he?" Cynder asked hopes up.

"He is fine." Spyro said with smile. Cynder kissed him.

"I am so proud of you." Cynder said softly before she kissed Spyro again.

"It was nothing. I just did what I should have be done long ago." Spyro said.

"Don t be so modest Spyro." Cynder said, sat down and too deep yawn.

"Tired?" Spyro asked.

"A bit. You think we can rest in here?" Cynder asked from Spyro while looking around.

"Well I cant see any better place anywhere and come to think of it I believe this is just fine spot." Spyro said after he have looked around. Cynder lied down and Spyro next to her and they curled around eachother to keep eachothers warm. Cynder fell asleep quickly but Spyro where still awake, trying to sleep. He heard familiar sounding buzz come close and without opening his eyes he raised his wing slightly and he smiled when he felt Sparx crawling under his wing just like years ago in past when he was just a hatcling.

Meanwhile in far north inside of the ancient throneroom of Orcs' city lying just in roots of Icerock mountains

"YOU LET THAT CREATURE ESCAPE!?" Huge and Muscular Orc, wearing full Steelplate armours and long green cape which has seen it's better days and his huge Steel battleaxe-warHammer weapon resting against his wooden throne yelled furiously with such force that air vibrated.

"But my chieftain, Cynder where here and she wasn't alone. She was accompanied by purple dragon and they took creature with them." Edgard answered trying to control his fear trough mirror.

"Cynder is still alive?" chieftain said and glanced on his sorcerer and personal advisor filled by hatred. Sorcerer backed up quickly.

"You have some explaining to do and you better make it good for your own sake." Chief said groaning before he turned his gaze back on Magically enchanted mirror.

"Yes I am certain. Cynder was here but she wasn't what she used to be. She has shrinked."

"Shrinked?"

"Yes, but still too strong to be dealt alone. I need more orcs."

"YOU GET NONE! Now go and get that creature back! I don t care what you do about those dragons but get the creature. It is imperative you bring it before me. Did I make myself clear Edgard the Strongarm?"

"Yes chieftain, I will not fail you again." Edgard said and punched his chest

"Good. Now begone!" chieftain said and image of Edgard fainted from mirror's surface leaving nothing else but his own reflection.

"Now... Explain how Cynder is still alive?" Chieftain groaned angry and quietly at orc sorcerer who glanced back showing no fear against such powerful leader.

Dragons slept peacefully under the whitered tree, curled eachother and Sparx snored faint under Spyro's left wing. Tall grass waved with wind and hid the dragons inside, leaving only small hole into endless grass ocean. One, two sets of glowing green eyes appeared in distance and moved slowly right at the sleeping dragons, never making even faintest sound. Eyes got closer and you could see strong creatures' muscular shadows around glowing eyes. One of the creatures raised his huge battleaxe and moonlight reflected amonght it's sharp, cracked surface. Shadows got closer the unaware and sleeping couple and one shadow raised his axe above his head, preparing his deadly onslaught. Once they got close enough, unarmed shadow smirked, showing his sharp teeths and other's eyes narrowed and second later he swung his axe in blur motion down.

"AAHH!!" Cynder shouted, panting and sweating all over. Spyro startled the sudden shout and shot up from his sleep and Sparx fell on ground from under Spyro's wing, waking him up as well. All three kept looking around to see any possible threat but they couldn't see anything but few fireflies flying around nearby bushes. Spyro looked Cynder and got worried when he saw Cynder being all swet and panting, turning her head side to side over and over again.

"What that was all about?" Sparx said anxious caused by rude awakening.

"Cynder, are you alright?" Spyro asked filled by worry. Cynder's green eyes locked on him, showing Spyro she was terrified but Cynder shook her head before Spyro could do or say anything.

"It... It was just a nightmare." Cynder said calming down a bit.

"Next time let me sleep in peace, I had nicest dream in a while." Sparx stated.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Spyro asked from Cynder and moved next to her and lowered his wing on her, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you Spyro but no... I... Sorry to wake you up like that." Cynder spoke head low.

"No, its okay. Now let's go back to sleep." Spyro said and he followed Cynder down who tried to take conformable position. Spyro lowered his protective wing over Cynder's back and he where surprised when Cynder gave strong hug, almost making him fall on his side on Cynder. He turned on other side so they could face eachother while Cynder kept hugging him.

"Good night beautiful." Spyro whispered.

"Good night handsome." Cynder answered softly and yawned

"Good night to you too Sparx"

"yeah yeah... Nights." Sparx said after he had crawled under Spyro's wing again. Spyro smiled faintly when Cynder fell into calm and peaceful sleep before he entered to the word of dreams as well and so the trio slept their night peacefully.

Meanwhile night seemed to be long for someone. Ranger continued to backtrack his trip back where he had left the dragons. Moons shoun on sky and crickets filled the grass around him with their noises. This made listening possible threats rather difficult as possible sounds could be easily covered under noisy wildlife, so he had to rely mostly to his vision. Punch of wolfs has smelled his dried blood and followed him not too far and every time Ranger checked his back, wolfs lowered themselves. Getting the feeling things ain't as they should be he glanced behind himself more often but refused to slow himself down. Wolfs where patient, following him carefully and wait the moment when their pray where most vulnerable. Ranger stopped and closed his eyes, trying to listen his surroundings. Insects sounds where almost hurting his ears but he heard something which ain't made by insects nor wind, Something where moving behind him. Markus placed his left hand slowly on sword's handle and he opened his eyes when he heard sounds of single wolf's pawns becoming louder, more frequent every passing step and once sound stopped he took his sword, dodged to left turning around at the same time and swung his sword, all in one fast move, against whatever where attacking him. Ranger hit wolf what where still in mid-air trying to leap on him it's fangs pointed at him and it's mouth wide open ready for grabbing him from throat, opening it's furry chest wide open and before wolf dropped on ground it where dead. Other wolfs has already began to circle him and Ranger saw their glowing yellow eyes reflecting the silverlight of the tvinmoons. Markus glanced briefly on his now dead attacker.

"Susia..." He whispered to himself. Ranger spread his legs a bit and prepared to take on the first wolf who dares to attack upon him. Wolfs kept circling around him, moving constantly and growling at him. Before long first, then another soon followed by third ran towards their pray from all directions. Markus dodged the first wolf's leap by moving aside and swung his short sword against second one, hitting it to it's hindlegs severing them but the third wolf jumped on his back and ranger fell on his knees from impact. Wolf tried to grap hunter from his neck with it's sharp teeths but it tore ranger's hood instead. Markus stood up regardless the wolf on his back and turned quickly around against fist wolf which attacked him first. Ranger's sudden move made wolf on his back lose it's grip on him and it fell on ground on it's back. Without hesitation wolf front of him lunged towards him aiming his legs but ranger stroke his sword on it's back and wounded wolf ran away, only being to replaced by fourth wolf which managed to leap right on him causing ranger to fall on his back, losing any advances he had while standing. Wolf grabbed his throat with it's strong jaws and it's fangs emped into his throat. Still being able to breath ranger shouted from pain and tried to use his sword to free himself but third wolf bite his arm and tried to tear it apart. Ranger took one of the few knifes he had into his right wounded hand and stabbed wolf on him several times on it's stomach, chest and neck. Once wolf lost it's grip on his throat he kicked it with his knee sending it's corpse over him. Markus where now free and he turned on his left side to stab the wolf tearing his left arm. He managed to spab wolf on it's cheek cutting its jawmuscle in the process, before wolf which where wounded from it's hindlegs has crawled behind him and bite him directly on his right arm's wounds, reopening day old cutwounds and pain where intense. Stabbed wolf ran away and ranger stroke blinded by pain furiously on estimated location of the wolf, severing it's head from it's body. Only thing which broke the silence where ranger's heavy breathing. Ranger lied down on his back surrounded by dead wolfs trying to recover. He snapped out from his clouded thought as he realised he was bleeding all over. Markus began to tend his wounds as fast he could but blood loss caused by early day and now after wolfs' attack made him lose his eyesight, narrowing his field of vision even smaller every second. Soon he couldn't see absolutely nothing and his thought began to cloud, unable to consternate on anything but he still tried to tie his wounds as fast he could but the work never reached it's completion as he fell back on ground.

"Ei..." Markus whispered before he fell unconscious.


	16. Chapter 16: Play and fight

Chapter 16 – Play and fight

"Ei..." Markus whispered before he fell unconscious. Ranger's body lied surrounded by wolfs' corpses and his clothes where tore up and red from blood. He has been able to tie up the worst injuries put minor wounds still bleed weakening him every passing second even further. His breathing where irregular, intermittent as well as heavy and heart barely pumped under his chest. His subconsciousness still fought for ranger's survival. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours and Ranger still kept fighting. He lingered between faint line of life and death. Sun began to rose over horizon and sun rays hit him, warming his cold body slowly and giving more energy for his struggle and very slowly live began to get upperhand from death. Breathing came easier and heart began to pump more frequently but he was still far too weak to wake up.

Sunlight hit on sleeping trio from between whickered tree's branches and Cynder began to stir from her sleep. She took deep yawn and opened her emerald green eyes. Clouds has started to gather together, telling it might get raining soon. Cynder broke the hug carefully so she wouldn't wake Spyro up but once she pulled herself away cold breeze touched Spyro's exposed belly and he shivered a bit. Cynder stretched her limps and took another deep yawn before she sat down next to Spyro and chuckled when she saw Spyro trying to scoop closer to her while sleeping where she had slept moment ago. Regardless the muscular and scared body of his Cynder thought he looked very cute and she kissed gently Spyro to his cheek. Spyro opened his eyes and look into Cynder's emerald eyes before he was forced to take deep yawn.

"Good morning cute purple." Cynder said and giggled a bit more.

"*Yawn* Good morning. What you're giggling at?"

"To you. You look so cute when you sleep."

"Cute?" Spyro asked confused. 'I am cute?' He thought and began to blush.

"Forget about that cute, you look adorable now whit that red face of yours." Cynder teased Spyro out even if she meant every word what she just said.

"Wha... I... What?" Spyro cheeks turned wide red. Cynder just watched him with dreamy eyes and with big smile. Spyro felt both confused and embarrassed and he tried to hide his face. Cynder chuckled.

"Awww Spyro, don't be like that. There is no reason of being embarrassed if someone says you're cute." Cynder spoke with warm and soft voice and she bent and lowered her head at same level with Spyro.

"Besides, I love when you are so blushed." Cynder whispered to his ear. Spyro turned his wide blushed head towards Cynder and before he knew it Cynder where already giving passionable kiss to him. Spyro's eyes went wide and his wings shot up from surprise and Sparx who has slept whole time under his wing, dropped on ground on his head.

"OWW!" Sparx shouted and scratched his head before he flew up from ground.

"What that was... Not again." Sparx said partly anxious, partly in disbelieve and continued scratching his head.

"Stop being so cuddly for once. I think giving a huge lumb on head is more than enough to wake me up but you just do everything to make me feel even worse." Sparx continued anxious and folded his hands on his chest and giving his deathglanze on both dragons but especially on Cynder. After two dragons their kiss slowly and became aware their surrounding world.

Spyro turned his head towards him. "Oh, sorry about that Sparx" Spyro said with faint smile.

"You know what? You two need to do something else for a change... something which don't make me feel sick." Sparx began to think.

"And what that would be?" Cynder asked wondering what he is up this time.

"I dunno... but now I try to find some breakfast. Your so called ancestors help you if I find you having your dragon love again. Bye!" Sparx flew off before either Spyro nor Cynder could say anything.

"He is lifefull for a change don't you think Spyro?" Cynder noted after a moment.

"I am glad he feels a lot better than yesterday but it looks like he haven't actually accepted our relationship yet."

"I'm sure he will come over it sooner or later."

"I think it is far later. Hungry?"

"A bit." Cynder said quickly and licked his cheek one and raced into sky. "Race you there purple eye!" She shouted from a distance. Spyro shook his head before he gave wide grin and flew after her.

"Oh you're not getting away so easily this time Emerald!" He shouted after her. Spyro Flapped his wings sharply and increasing his speed every flap he made with his wings, just like day earlier but Cynder where getting away no matter how hard he tried to keep up with her.

Cynder glanced behind briefly and chuckled when she saw her hero had some minor problems in keeping up with her. She began to sweep view ahead of her with her eyes to see anything potential to her to eat for breakfast and in few moments she saw lone hare fleeing her. Without giving second thought she began to chase it and lunged towards it and grabbed it easily into her foreleg's claws. Cynder landed gently on her hindlegs and just when she where about to eat her prey she startled when Spyro flew just above her head, almost touching her. Spyro circled around and landed front of her laughing. Cynder's chocked expression turned into frown

"Hehe... Surprised you didn't I?" Spyro said panting slightly.

"you almost gave me heart attack!"

Hee... ahem... I'm sorry if I startled your tail off but you have to admit, you didn't expect that." Spyro said and tried to hold his laugh.

Cynder began to calm down. "Well there you are right. What took you so long?" Cynder began teasing Spyro for revenge. "Or am I too fast for you hmm?"

"Well... I..." Spyro tried to say something but got too embarrassed. He had just 'lost' to a girl. Cynder chuckled.

"I take that as yes." She said with a smile. Spyro decided to play a small trick on her. He turned his attention on something imagined thing behind her.

"Sparx, what is that?" He tried to say curious and pointed where he was looking. Cynder looked behind her even if she knew Spyro was up to something again and indeed he was. Cynder saw Spyro trying to reach her breakfast on corner of her eye, she pulled her meal closer to her, turned her head back and pushed her head over her meal to protect it.

"Na-a. You get your own meal." Cynder giggled

"Aww... Not even a small snack?" Spyro chuckled

"Nope" Cynder shook her head slightly

"Hehe. Be with you soon!" Spyro Said before he launched into sky. Cynder grinned after him before She turned her full attention on her breakfast and began to eat.

Meanwhile few dozen miles away at north north-west. Markus began to came concious again. He welt really cold and he shivered all over. He opened his eyes slowly and closed them again as light just dazzled his eyes. He tried to lift his arm over his head to cover his eyes from brightness but hand felt extremely heavy and it dropped back on ground. Markus tried again and slowly he brought it over his eyes and he opened his eyes. First thing he saw was slightly bale looking hand trembling over his head. In a few moments his eyes got used to brightness and he lowered his and back on ground. His thoughts where still a bit fuzzy and he had problems to keep his thought on one thing at the time. He pulled his next to him and pushed himself in order to get sitting. Markus' arms shook violently but he was able to get up sitting.

Markus glanced around and saw few wolfs' corpses around him and he remembered what has happened. He had fought against wolfs last night and got almost killed by them and in a moment second thought shot into his mind; wounds. He looked himself with haste side to side over and over again and he gasped as he realised he is covered by dried blood but got relieved when he took closer look on his wounds, most blood ain't his. Bleeding has stopped from smaller wounds during his unconsciousness and he has been able to tie up the larger ones before he dropped out cold. Feeling both thirsty and hungry and besides how much he hate the idea he had to eat some of the wolfs meat he had killed last night even if there is no telling is their meat still eatable. bellyache is a small price for survival he thought.

He tried to lower himself back on ground but his arms collapsed and he fell on ground with loud thud. After he came over the small pain back on his head Markus turned slowly on his stomach, took his knife lying on ground and crawled very slowly on nearest dead wolf. Even wolf where just few feets away distance felt like he have crawled miles to get to it. After he had reached it he paused for a moment to catch his breath again he began to remove wolf's pelt from it for keeping himself warm. His work was slow and his uncontrollably trebling hands make it difficult but he managed to skin the wolf properly and after second pause Markus began to eat raw wolf meat small piece at the time. It tasted terrible but he tried to eat much as he could anyway and for thirst he cut hole into wolfs artery and drank some of the blood which poured out from it. After he was done he where about to vomit but all eaten meat stayed inside. Feeling a bit sick he turned on his back and just rested, thinking what he should do now. He was still too weak to move away from bodies and it would be foolish to try rest in middle of them. There is no telling what kind of creatures rotting corpses might attract.

Ranger haven't been awake longer than hour, two tops and he felt already tired and sleepy but he refused to give in and instead pushed himself up sitting again. After he believed he was stable enough to free his hands from supporting his balance he cleaned up all the blood around his wounds and untie quickly made ties to see how bad they where. As he feared most of his new wounds has amped and his reopened wounds on his right arm where on worst condition, both old and new wounds where turned bright red and it felt both hot and painful to touch. He retied most of his wounds again, turned around on his belly and began to crawl away. It took almost hour to get only about 70 meters and which felt like miles. Unable to crawl any further he took small wolfpelt he has dragged along, placed it on himself, took fetal position and began resting a bit shivering from cold and sun has hidden itself behind clouds. He decided to say awake no matter what but soon as he tried to relax tireness overpowered him in a instant and he fell into vast asleep. While he slept clouds gathered into sky and hid sun behind them.

Two hours earlier back with dragons. Spyro and Cynder has finished their breakfast and has flew back to Sparx who seemed to have minor problems with his stomach's digestion.

"Oooohh... my stomach." Sparx whimpered while two dragons continued laugh at him

"Hahaha! You... You never learn what to eat." Spyro managed to say while laughing.

"But they where so huge and tasty looking beetles. Ooofff..." Sparx turned around and vomited. Both Cynder and Spyro couldn't hold it any longer; they totally burst out loud uncontrollably laughing so hard that tears where coming out from their eyes.

"Yeah yeah go ahead and lau—-Omff!" Sparx hold his hands front of his mouth trying to keep consumed food inside.

"You know a real brother would be at least concerned or something." Sparx managed to say after a moment.

"Hahaheheha! Sorry... Haha! It is just you never learn... Hehe... ahee..." Spyro began to calm down and he poked Cynder to make her calm down as well. She swept her eyes from tears.

"Sorry Sparx." Cynder said, clearly trying not to burst out again.

"So, what we should do now?" Sparx asked.

"Well, we might just go and travel all the way back to temple far east." Spyro answered.

"But that could take weeks if not months to get back." Sparx began to protest

"You have better idea then?" Spyro

Sparx lowered his head. "Nothing that comes into my mind right now."

Smile began to grow on Cynder's face as she looked Spyro. "Oh I have small idea." Cynder said with soft voice. Sparx noticed how Cynder where looking on Spyro and flew quickly between them.

"Oh no nonononononono no you don t! Anything else but that!"

"What?" Cynder pretended not knowing what he meant and tried circle around him but Sparx kept blocking her. Spyro chuckled behind him.

"You know what doomgirl, you should do something else for a change which wont make me feel like I need to puke or something."

"Like what?" Cynder asked and kept trying to get to Spyro.

"hide and seek perhaps?" Sparx suggest.

Spyro rose his eyebrow "Play?"

"Heh... only one question. Where you hide?" Cynder asked amused. Sparx glanced around and quickly realised his advice where a bit dum. There would be absolutely no place for two teenage dragons to hide, unless they fly mile away that is.

"Ermh... Good question... Tag?"

"Tag?" Spyro asked.

"Why not? And let's make it interesting, no flying!" Sparx continued becoming exited. Not allowing neither of them to fly gives him a change against them.

Cynder lunged around Sparx and jumped on Spyro making him fall on side, she gave a kiss on his cheek and ran away "Tag! You're it!" She shouted.

"Well you didn't see that coming." Sparx said to Spyro. Spyro stood up and gave devious grin on Sparx.

"Does that mean I think it means?" Sparx said becoming aware that he was up to no good. Spyro rushed towards him.

"Oh nuts!" Sparx shouted and began to fly away from him. And so the trio kept running around on the grassfield between hills who chasing who at a time. Unaware they continued running around like small children when top of the hill orcs began to gather and soon they hid themselves just behind the hill.

"Let them exhaust themselves first, when I say you start hurling those stones at them from up here, got it?" Familiar voice said with a groan and other orcs nodded.

They kept playing almost two hours after exhaustion began to slow them down and surprisingly Spyro was the first one to drop out. He laid down sweating all over and panting heavily and Cynder walked slowly towards him with a victorious grin on her face. She is afterall last one tagged. Clouds has gathered on sky and they hid the sun behind them.

"Tired already? You make this... too easy." Cynder said panting as well.

"What you... expect when both... of you are only... after me?" Spyro said between breaths. Cynder walked front of him and gave long kiss.

"Tag... You're it again..." Cynder said after she broke the kiss. Spyro just shook his head and prepared to tag her or Sparx one more time but before he began to get up his eyes shot wide open.

"LOOK OUT!" He shouted to Cynder and pushed her away moment before large rock smashed on ground into spot where she has been half second ago. Both looked shocked towards where rock has flown from and both frown at the same time.

"ORCS!" Cynder shouted.

"We need to get away from here! SPARX! ORCS ARE HERE!" Spyro shouted to Sparx who was in distance. Rocks of various sizes began literally rain on field. Dragons kept dodging the falling rocks when Cynder prepared to take on air but just in the moment she took first flap heavy rock hit her head and she fell back on ground.

"CYNDER!" Spyro shouted filled by fear and worry and he ran next to her.

"Cynder wake up! We need to go! Now!" Spyro tried to wake her up but Cynder stayed still. Rockrain stopped and Spyro saw large group of orcs running down the hill waving their weapons against him. He felt the anger growing inside him and his eyes began to burn from fury and he stepped between Black dragon and fearless group of orcs

"You... You are not going to get away from this!" Spyro shouted to incoming orcs which such hatred that black smoke rose from his nostrils. More clouds gathered on sky and first drops fell on ground. In a second it started raining heavily.

Spyro felt something burning inside him and he opened his mouth slowly. He closed his eyes and unleashed biggest, most huge fireball he has ever unleashed before towards the rushing orcs. Unluckily most of the orcs dodged it with ease but when it hit one unlucky orc huge explosion literally turned him and few around him into ashes in a instant and shockwave sent many other orcs flying far away. Such demonstration of Spyro's anger slowed orcs down a bit but they where still superior in numbers, not even a quarter perished or dropped out cold from his attack. Blinded by anger Spyro ran against the groups and the very first trying to hurt his love could feel his full wrath orcs now have unleashed in him. In quarter of a second First orc dropped on ground dead claw wounds all over him and Spyro faced second one who met the same fate moment after. Then the third one soon followed by fourth. Orcs began to gather around him fighting back against purple fury with little success. Orcs tried to hit him with clubs, swords, hammers, axes, maces, even with fists but nothing worked as Spyro just kept dodging them like nothing and giving quick death those who has dared attack against him.

When Orcs literally tried to bury him under themselves Spyro began to float few feets above the ground glowing with brightblue light and world slowed around him. He glanced around, showing no mercy against anyone around him he unleashed all the energy he has gathered inside him with one loud bang. Closest ones around him froze in a instant on their spot and others further away where pierced by sharp icebullets and icicles killing them as well. Spyro landed on ground gently in middle of gently falling snow which his icebased furyattack had turned waterdrops into and he panted heavily but his anger still where strong in him. Last quarter of orcs looked at him and around themself nervously trying to think should they attack or flee for their lives. Spyro closed his eyes and felt the earth beneath him. Forcing the hidden power to be unleashed in it, ground began to treble violently and orcs began to back away slowly. Just when Spyro where the edge of setting free that power of earth, one single voice groaned at him from behind.

"Stop that now or Cynder is good as dead!" Voice too familiar to Spyro shouted.

Spyro turned around still holding his power within and his eyes narrowed when he saw who it was.

"You!" He groaned with anger. Edgard gave devious grin and rose Cynder front of him from her head like she weighted nothing and held his huge sword's edge against her throat. Somehow he has managed to circle behind him and grab Cynder.

"That's right purple dragon. Now surrender or Cynder is going to be your first casualty." Edgard grunted and moved his sword closer to her throat.

"You wouldn't dare animal!" Spyro's eyes narrowed even more and he was just inch away from unleashing his wrath against him.

"Oh yes I would dare! I have all the reasons to kill her right here, right now. NOW STAND BACK AND SURRENDER!" Edgard shout out loud and Cynder's blood began to bleed across his huge sword slowly.

Spyro fought against his anger and he trebled a bit. He turned his gaze away slowly and finally dropped on ground, letting his gathered power fade away.

"Good... very good... CHAIN HIM!" Edgard shouted and two orcs walked at Spyro with lot of chains and locked the chains on Spyro from legs, tail, neck, even on his wings

"You're going to pay from this!" Spyro said still angered.

"Maybe, but not today. Now lets move!" Edgard groaned and two orcs began to drag Spyro along with them as remaining orcs began to walk back where they have came. A single thunderbolt struck down in horizon.


	17. Chapter 17: Questioned

Chapter 17 - Questioned

"Maybe, but not today. Now lets move!" Edgard groaned and two orcs began to drag Spyro along with them as remaining orcs began to walk back where they have came. A single thunderbolt struck down in horizon. Clouds began to turn darker and wind began to howl between hills. Cold rain literally poured from sky and small rills began to form down from hills and slowly creating small ponds here and there.

Orcs dragged Spyro behind the hill where they have waited whole time during their play and raised him on only cart they have brought with them. Cart had cage of some sort on it and orcs placed him inside it and locked the chains tightly on small hooks placed all around the cage, literally making him impossible to turn even his head more than a inch or two. Whole cage's idea seemed to be to chain up things inside them than using the bars. if not the chains he could easily just walk out of it.

"You really think these chains can hold me here?" Spyro snarled to orc front of him who where locking up the chains into hooks. Orc backed nervously and Spyro gave grin to him what made orc feel cold shiver on his spine.

"That's right... You all should fear me for your lifes." Spyro continued with deep hostile voice. Chains where thick and heavy, surely stronger that most but they would not hold Spyro if he where to do another his furyattacks. But before he could come further with his quick escape plan, orcs brought unconscious Cynder front of him. His anger faded away and where replaced by deep worry. Spyro gasped when he saw huge bruise on top of her head and how blood bleed slightly from small wounds in it. Her injury wasn't that bad but it made Spyro feel sick from worry. Orcs chained her as well and placed her inside cage same way that he was but so that she now faced directly at him. Making it almost impossible neither of them escape by using their powers without hurting each other. Spyro frown when he realised what they where up to before he turned his attention back on Cynder.

"Cynder? Please wake up Cynder... please..." Spyro tried to wake her up but with no success. Another lighting bolt struck down and hit whimpered tree and split the tree into two halfs and raining became even worse. Few orcs began to complain but where quickly silenced with Edgard's loud grunt. Spyro began to shiver slightly from cold and tight chains hurt Spyro when cart jolted into move towards their camp.

'I can't warm myself like this but at least I can keep her warm.' Spyro thought and began to blow slowly on Cynder his firebreath so carefully that only warm air came out from his mouth and he paused only when he need to take another deep breath and he blew over and over again.

Spyro overheard when Edgard began to speak on mirror. First he thought Edgard where crazy or something but he was surprised so much that he forgot to keep Cynder warm when he heard mirror answering back. He didn't hear what mirror spoke but overhearing Edgard was no problem.

"My chieftain. We managed to capture both Cynder and that purple dragon and we chained like you told us to. But the creature wasn't anywhere to be seen." Edgard spoke first proud then quietly when he came to point when he said no creature where found. Mirror mumbled something back.

"But chieftain, we lost over half of our searchparty this side of the river because this plan, I need more orcs." Edgard tried to show no fear but startled when mirror trembled on his fingers and let out loud murmur.

"No. I haven't questioned them yet. Cynder is still unconscious." Edgard paused for a moment and then continued. "My chieftain, I will question them once we get back into our camp. But with our current manpower, searching is difficult and trails might get cold." Mirror was silent over minute or two before it began to mumble back.

"Thank you my chieftain. I will not fail you." He said out loud and punched his chest before he hid the small mirror back into small bag he carried side of his vaist.

"Is Cynder awake?" Edgard grunted behind him.

"No, Edgard the Strongarm." Orc who walked next to cart answered back formally. 'Sounds like there is something big going on. Why they want capture Markus so badly?' Spyro thought for himself and began to keep Cynder warm with his breath again while shivering from cold himself.

On the distance two hours later Markus woke up shivering badly from cold. Despite it has rained nearly two hours he didn't wake up when it began, in fact he was really lucky to wake up at all. Ranger have got all wet and his small wolfpelt was good as nothing against the heavy rain. Only good side on this rain where that all bloodstains on him and his clothes has washed away. His skin has turned almost blue from cold and he rubbed his trebling hands against his arms to keep himself warm. That didn't warm him almost at all but it was anything he could to at the moment, at least he is below the wind. He moved his small wolfpelt to cover him better from rain and tighten his fetal position and he rub his arms harder but he still shivered from cold and rain made it far worse. He would move to anywhere what would give even slight cover from rain but there weren't anything nearby so everything he could do now was just trying to keep warm in middle of rain and hope rain would end soon.

Orcs cart got stuck once again on soft ground what has begun to turn more like mud. Chains strangled Spyro's limbs and made them hurt him every time cart made sudden move. Cart jolted into move and Spyro noticed Cynder to show signs of waking up at last. Her eyes moved under her eyelids. Suddenly cart wheel hit small hole on ground and wooden wheel broke and the whole cart swayed enough to large cage dragons where held in drop on ground on its side. Mud splatted on Spyro and Cynder but mud where quickly wash off by still falling cold rain. Spyro hissed with twisted face from pain chains caused which now hold him in the most unconformable position but he came over the pain and focused himself back on Cynder. She opened her eyes and Spyro sighed from relief but worry got back into him quickly.

"Cynder are you allright?" Spyro asked hasty

"Ohh… My head." Cynder didn't register what Spyro said and instead closed her eyes again and tried to move to hold her head with her pawn but chains held her at bay. She opened her eyes again and tried to look what was going on and realised she where unable to move at all, unable to move even her head and where facing directly at Spyro, both hanging on chains sideways.

"What… What happened?" Cynder asked.

"You where hit by large rock what orcs threw at you. I lost control from myself when I saw what happened to you and fought back in total rage, almost like I was someone else. No matter how much of them there where, I just kept slaughtering them like nothing, showing absolutely no mercy to them. When I was winning, Edgard managed to sneak around me and grab you and threatened your life if I wouldn't surrender. I failed to protect you…" Spyro spoke slowly with low tone, filled by both sadness and fear of what happened him during the fight and he kept looking down.

"Spyro… don't blame yourself. You did your best and there wasn't anything else you could have done else. I would have done the same."

"No, you don't understand. I lost total control from myself. I almost unleashed my fury against Edgard when he held his sword on your throat; I barely managed to stop myself in time." Spyro explained slowly, still being a bit upset.

"I... I almost hurt you." Spyro said before Edgard began to groan to his henchmen.

"…what you're waiting for idiots? Fix that thing!" Edgard grunted angrily.

"But you didn't Spyro. It's okay, really." Cynder said calm and warm voice.

"What we do to dragons, Edgard the Strongarm" One orc asked and pointed on cage where dragons is kept.

"Just leave it like… wait… So you have woken up Cynder." Edgard said with a small grin when he noticed. Cynder has indeed woken up and began to walk over them

"Don't say anything." Spyro whispered to Cynder.

"Turn over that cage, Now!" Edgard grunted and two orc hasty turned their cage back up before they returned to help the others to fix the broken wheel.

"Now, dear hatchlings, I have something to discuss with you. I'll ask and you will answer."

"We have nothing to discuss Edgard. Let us go!" Spyro snarled to him.

"I am afraid I can't do that purple fury. Now… Where is that creature?"

"What creature?" Cynder asked with a frown.

"Don't play stupid. The one you took from us, where is it?

"We won't tell you anything! Let us go now!" Spyro snarled angrily. Edgard took hostile expression on his face and punched Spyro to his cheek hard. Spyro hissed from pain and glared back at him with corner of his eye. Bruise began to develop on his cheek.

"You don't want me become angry, do you? Tell me where it is and I promise I won't hurt you… bad." Edgard said calmly and with cold tone. Disturbing silence took place with those three.

"Well where is it?" What for Malefor would need such pathetic creature like that?"

"I told you we don't work for anyone." Cynder said and tried to free herself.

"Ah but you are the servant of dark master, you honestly believe I don't know that?"

"Then you have missed a lot. We killed that bastard long ago." Cynder said out loud with anger and gasped quickly afterwards. She maybe has said too much.

"Dead? Dark master is dead? By you? Hah! If that where true I would be the one of the first ones to know…. Hmm…" Edgard began to think and rubbed his green jaw. He turned around ant took that same small mirror and began to walk further away. But dragons could overhear the speak in whole this time.

"My chieftain, Edgard the… oh… it's you… Where is chieftain?" Edgard's formality turned almost into total mixture of hatred and frown.

"He don't have time for someone like you. Now Edgard, have you thought about my proposal?" Mirror said back.

"The answer is still no. you just might stop that foolish plotting for once. I should report you to chieftain."

"If you would do that, Edgard, it would be the last thing you do in your pathetic little life. Now think abo--"

"Enough of that. I speak only to chieftain and you know that. Where is he?"

"Resting. Tell me and I'll tell him." Mirror said but without reply Edgard just disconnected the magical connection and put the mirror back into his bag and turned around.

"Now let's continue. I won't ask this again: Where is that creature?" Edgard asked once more while walking back to dragons.

"Forget it Edgard, we ain't saying a word." Cynder said firmly.

"Is that so? Not even if I would do this?" Edgard grabbed small sword from one of the orcs wandering around near him and raised the sword near Cynder's throat. Spyro's eyes narrowed.

"Leave her alone!" Spyro snarled very angry but Edgard just smirked back.

"You really seem to like this girl."

"If you do anything to her it is the last thing you do."

"Like this?" Edgard grabbed Cynder's head from one of her horns and bulled her head back far as chains allowed him and pressed sword against her throat.

"Ahh!" Cynder shouted

"NOW WHERE IS THAT CREATURE? I DON'T ASK YOU AGAIN!" yelled with deep groan in his voice. Rain began finally to calm down as the dark clouds continued further in to the mainland.

"Spyro…" Cynder whispered and tear came out from her eye. Spyro grit his teeth and closed his eyes.

"WELL?" Edgard grunted.

"I… don't know where creature is. It left us after we flew over the river." Spyro said carefully not to say Markus at 'he' but 'it' instead. Spyro opened his narrowed eyes.

"Now leave her alone!" Spyro shouted. Edgard grunted to himself and pulled sword back and released Cynder's head.

"Edgard the strongarm, Cart is repaired."

"About time. Put those dragons on it and let's get moving." Edgard groaned and turned his head back on Dragons.

"We continue this later." Edgard said with groan before two orcs lifted cage back on cart. Once they were ready to move again cart jolted into move and slowly they continued their journey into orcs' camp.

"Are you okay?" Spyro asked from Cynder.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Spyro?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." Cynder said softly despite their current situation.

"I love you more than anything." Spyro answered back with dreamy eyes. They would have kissed passionately but the chains reminded where they were. So they just stared into eachothers' eyes dreamingly, lost deep within them.

Not far away yellow orb followed the remaining group of orcs and kept good distance too. Sparx scratched his head hopeless, trying to figure what he should do.

"What I gonna do? What I gonna do? What I gonna do?" Sparx kept repeating to himself while thinking hard.

"I cant go to them or they spot me for sure. I am small but they might keep me as a threat anyway. I can't rescue them or maybe not even help them due of my small size. Oh crying out loud! What I should do?" Sparx think out loud.

"I need help but who would help me? Guardians? Not a change, they're too far away. Hunter? Same thing… Markus? He is creepy and doesn't understand a word. aaarh!" Sparx fought against idea he got into small head of his but he knew that was probably the only way.

"I'm sure I'm going to regret this. Well then… If I would be creepy assassin who doesn't understand anything and have own fanclub of murderous orcs, where I would go?" Sparx scratched his head again.

"Ah… that way…" Sparx pointed and flew off but steered around after second or two. "No… That way." Sparx said, pointing into opposite direction and so Sparx began to fly where he last saw Ranger.

Ranger raised his head when rain began to ease up a bit. After 20 minutes rain where almost gone and only small drips dropped on him here and then and giving faint smile for himself as he knew he has survived his hard tribulation. Still feeling weak and terribly cold he removed small wolfpelt on top of him and stretched his cramped limps carefully. It hurt a bit but he stretched them anyway over and over again, feeling that every time he did it again it felt easier and this warmed him up a bit but not much. He began to squeeze and twist his clothes to dry them up a bit and then he tried to push himself up. Hands trembled but he managed to push himself up sitting. Markus rubbed his cold legs to make blood running in them again and warm himself more. Legs began to warm up and blue tint waded. While doing so he glanced around to see if there was anything nearby. outcluding the many birds and few small horses far away place where totally empty. Just grassy hills and one of the many mini forests further away

Markus knew that best way to warm up is start walking but he didn't knew was he strong enough to do that. He carefully moved onto his knees and slowly rises up. He smiled when he has made all the way up and he tried to take first step carefully but the leg he stepped on collapsed and he fell on his face back on wet ground with a thump

"No voi paska." He cursed quietly and tried again, and fell again. But he tried insistently and this time managed to take first heavy step. He waited for a minute before he took another, and the third one. his legs shook a lot but he managed to keep his balance with every step he took. He knew it would not be vice to continue to backtrack his travel but he didn't care and Ranger continued his plans to unite with dragons. His steps weren't that promising but he kept walking.

About hour later, when Sun has begun to set down below horizon Sparx has reached the place where he has last seen ranger and flew in circles around the small knife Ranger has forgot there. Trying to remember where he went from there. He didn't need to think long as he saw small figure walking towards him clumsy and slowly. Not knowing would it be Markus he dimmed his glow down and flew towards the figure. Figure stopped few dozen meters away from him as the figure noticed approaching familiar looking bug of sort of. Figure tilted his head slightly.

"Sparx?" Figure in grey tore up clothes said.

"Markus Finally!" Sparx shouted and flew towards him like a small bullet.


	18. Chapter 18: Camp revisited

Chapter 18 – Camp revisited

"Markus Finally!" Sparx shouted and flew towards him like a small bullet. Sparx where so overwrought he didn't notice Markus' bad condition at all.

"Ok... believe or not but even against my really bad, lets just say image of you, I need your help on something. You see, once you left we where having some fun not too far from here and suddenly orcs came and captured Spyro! And that black backstabber Cynder of doom. The case is I cant safe them since they where put into cage of some sort and those orcs are kinda blood-lust if you ask me..." Sparx kept explaining with fast, non-stop and barely taking a breath in middle, using his hands same time to visualise what has happened . Markus kept his eyes on anxious dragonfly as Sparx kept circling around his head.

Markus didn't understand a word of course but he knew something where clearly wrong.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Sparx shot suddenly right into Ranger face. Markus kept just looking at him before he realised he was waiting a reply of sort.

"Sparx.... Missä on Spyro ja Cynder?" He replied slowly. Sparx just slapped himself to head frustrated.

"Oh great... Yes, I am Sparx but Spyro is the one who you should help!"

"Missä... Spyro... Missä... Cynder?" Markus tried again more slowly and pointed surroundings with open hand. Sparx remained silent for minute, trying to figure what he said.

"You want me to lead you to Spyro and Cynder? Oi, Why you didn't just say so? Over there!" Sparx said hasty and pointed to south but his mouth fell open and eyes snapped wide open when Markus started to walk into opposite direction and began to rip some grass on the way.

"what you think you're doing? Spyro is in that way!" Sparx said pointing to south but Ranger just continued his clumsy walking towards one of the mini forests on base of small hill, the very same forest where dragons has slept two days earlier. He walked pass bushes and sat down.

"Hey! My brother need help and he needs it now!" Sparx shouted on Markus' face and kept his fists closed on both sides. Markus kept his facial and rather flat expression on his face and glanced briefly on Sparx before he dropped tall grass he has gathered next to him and began to attend his wounds. Sparx didn't notice that he looked like half dead, not to mention new wounds all around him until Ranger removed one of the many cloths protecting his injuries. Sparx snapped out from his frustration and anxiousness and gave new look on Markus.

"What happened to you?" He said after a moment more calm and surprisingly showing some concern in his voice. Markus halted for a second, thinking what he asked and how to response, if at all.

"Susia. Sudet kävivät kimppuun." Markus said with rather emotionless voice and began to clean his wounds.

"Oookay... well I just pretend you made some sense. Just be quick with that. Okay?

Meanwhile, hundreds if not thousands miles away in east, far beyond golden desert inside the lone stone structure, better know as Dragon temple, where 4 Guardians Lives and watches upon realms. Temple has seen it's better days as now long dragon war has leaved it's sings on it. Huge cracks on floor, walls and even on roof. Single red adult dragon. He has two sets of curvy horns in brown colours coming back of his head and his battle worn chest, filled by old healed scars, is orange in colour. He has crests shaped like wild fire varying in colours of red to orange. His tail was about the length of his other body and in the tip of the tail was crest also shaped like fire, orange in colour. His wings where large, muscular and had multiple small rips, holes in other words, in his leather like wings. Ignitus is his name, the guardian of fire and flame, and he kept looking into pool which contained green, slowly swirling liquid very carefully, very consternated but deep sadness could be easily seen in his face.

Heavy steps could be heard behind Ignitus as another dragon, Guardian as well, walked slowly next to him.

"Still looking into the pool of visions?" Said the male yellow dragon with slight concern heard in his voice. The yellow dragon had dark blue chest and underbelly and pointy horns match in colour, he had markings all over his body shaped like lighting with lighter yellow than his main colour. Crests, beginning from his neck and ending near end of his tail where also dark blue in colour and tip of his tail is crest shaped like electricity.. Old dragon's, much like Ignitus' body where battle worn and muscular. He is, as his colour gives away, a guardian of electricity.

Ignitus gave deep sigh, almost like in sorrow sound before he looked on yellow dragon.

"Yes. I just hope there would be any sings from Spyro or Cynder, dear Volteer. But I cant see either of them no matter how hard I try. It has been almost 2 months when they confronted the Dark Master. Malefor is dead, I can feel it in my hearth but..." Ignitus spoke slowly before he began faintly sobbing. Volteer walked slower and tapped his shoulder gently.

"There, there now Iggy. I'm certain they're fine. There is no telling what really happened in convexity and all we can do is just hope the best. You said you could not see them. So long you can't see are they dead there is always hope they find a way and come back one day." Volteer spoke gently, trying to hold on his usual pladering speech of wordstorm but speed of his speech where still considerable. Ignitus began to calm down and nodded slightly

"Come to eat with us, Terrador has hunted for you a deer, most delicious, scrumptious, luscious, ambrosial, erhm ehh..." Volteer spoke hasty, full of energy before he managed to calm down electric tongue of his. Ignitus chuckled a bit. No matter what the situation was, Volteer's hyperactive positive muttering always managed to sheer him up.

"I'll come in a few moments" Ignitus said before he turned his head back on pool. Volteer nodded and walked into room where huge dragon statue still stood on it's full might eyes still glowing warm magical yellow light. He passed another dragon, Light blue in colour, almost cold blue as ice itself, who was eating his pray. Blue dragon lifted his head as Volteer walked pass him.

"How is he?" Blue dragon asked. He had blue chest and underbelly but much lighter in colour than volteer's. He has one set of pointy horns blue in colour back of his head. His blue crests are pointy and almost icicle in shape and tip of his tail has sharp crest looking like ice blade. His wings, ice blue in colour, are slightly smaller than the others' but well developed. His looks clearly tells to everyone around that he is the guardian of ice and cold.

"Worse by the day, Cyril. He barely eats now. I sheered him up like always but I'm not sure how long my help is enough." Volteer spoke with concern.

"So he still blames himself letting young dragons go and face Malefor instead of himself?" Green huge dragon spoke with low deep voice behind dragon statue while he walked to other guardians and dropped two deers on ground front of him. Green dragon was very muscular and his chest scales where brown in colour, his single pair of strong horns, brown in colour as well, curved strongly backwards and his crests looked more like they where pieces of dark brown rocks growing from under his green scales. Crests came all the way from his neck to the tip of his tail where huge mace looking tailtip where. His green wings where huge as himself and very muscular as well. He is also know as guardian of earth.

"I fear you are right. Terrador. It hurts my hearth that he is still keeps on his grief and sorrow." Volteer answered.

"I fear Malefor was too much for the young. Even if Dark Master is gone now I can't get rid of the idea they perished as well. I just hope I am wrong."

"As do we all Cyril... as do we all." Terrador ended.

Back behind the desert, after orcs have reached their camp orcs lifted dragons' cage carefully and placed it in middle of their camp near small campfire. Edgard walked slowly to two dragons who where well aware what he was up to.

"Now then." Edgard began to speak with low tone. "Now when i have you exactly where I want you two lets continue from where we left off. Now... Creature left you, you say?" Edgard said with slight groan in his voice. Spyro frown on him, showing no respect at all, only hatred.

"Yes." Spyro said simply, imagining in his mind how he would rip him apart as he answered.

"And you believe I trust you in this? No, I think you just hid it somewhere. Where?" Edgard continued. Long silence came until Cynder began to emit faint snarl deep within her throat.

"Grr... Ranger left us and that's it! We didn't hide it up! Let us go!" Cynder shouted with snarl and shook chains which held her tightly in place.

"Persistent fools you are. Make this easy for yourself and tell where that thing is!" Edgard said becoming anxious.

"What you expect us to say, huh?! Put this thing into your thick skull; We don't know where creature is!" Spyro literally shouted from bottom of his lungs. As he yelled some split flew on Cynder's face but both dragons where too angry at the moment to notice it.

Edgard's dark green lips turned downwards and eyebrows tilted down, representing his frustration and spite on to dragons. He lifted his hand next to his ear and squeezed his hand tightly into a fist. Spyro closed his eyes and prepared himself to impact by turning his head away from him as much chains allowed him and he tensed all his muscles. Hit came on his muzzle with such force blood dripped out from his mouth. Spyro hissed from pain caused both Edgard's fist and chains holing his head in place tightly. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the all stars dazzling front of his eyes.

"STOP IT! He's telling the truth! We don't know where ranger is!" Cynder shouted both in anger and concern in her. Edgard turned his head towards her and never changed his expression on his face. Thinking about their persistent manner to say they don't know where ranger is he gave up to interrogate them longer.

"Fine... you don't know where creature is... too bad for you. I'll decide what to do with you tomorrow." Edgard said with voice what made Cynder fear the worst. Spyro finally recovered from Edgard's punch and tried to glance around himself before recalling being still in chains.

"Spyro, You're allright?" Cynder asked worried.

"Yeah... ow... that hurt." Spyro said hoping he could rub his muzzle where he have been hit. Edgard voice could been heard not too far away.

"I want them under watch constancy. I don't care how you do that but someone have to watch them always." Edgard said to surrounding orcs before he went inside his new tent. Orcs began to fight with their words who will be the unlucky one who has to be awake whole night. It took almost an hour them to decide, in another words who lost wrestling walked to campfire mummering something to himself while others went back to their tents outcluding some guards designated to patrol the camp.

Cynder's stomach growled loudly, protesting against the lack of food. Cynder blushed a bit and Spyro gave small understanding smile to her. Last meal they had was small rabbits for breakfast.

"Hey you there! Can we have something to eat? We haven't got to eat nothing for whole day." Spyro shouted to the guard.

"hmph... I guard you, not serve." He said with slight groan. Spyro came up an idea and whispered something to Cynder who nodded in agreement.

"There ain't much to guard if we don't get something to eat. We dragons need our regular meals or we might just fade away. Boof... just like that." Spyro explained, hiding his smile as he spoke.

"Why I care? Less work if happens." Orc said solid.

"Oo but I know Edgard. We are too valuable to let just vanish. What you think he do with you if he finds out we are gone?" Cynder tried to speak with believable voice. Orc rose his gaze from campfire and looked towards chained dragons, giving away he is concerned about his own safety.

"That's right... He wouldn't be so happy about it would he?" Cynder continued.

"Oww... my stomach... It hurts!" Spyro began to act like he was in pain. Orc began to hesitate and panic began to flow into his mind. Thinking in stupid head of his hard that what he should do. He stood up.

"Hold. I go get food. No tricks!" Orc said before he turned around and walked with haste into tent near edge of their camp. Both dragons chuckled, trying not to burst into laugh when they heard loud rattling noise in tent where guard has went into. It didn't took long when orc walked back holding various kinds of food before him. Spyro and Cynder tried to become serious again and Spyro began acting again.

"Give something fast! It hurts!" Spyro said with twisted face, pretending he is in huge pains but when orc offered some raw meat Spyro shook his head.

"Nono, feed her first!" Spyro said still acting. Cynder gave briefly small smile before she took serious expression back onto her face. She ate offered meat rather quickly and between every piece of meat she was offered she gave questioning expression on Spyro who just nodded while acting in a way 'Go ahead'. Once Cynder has eaten much as she found conformable to eat in that situation she refused to take another piece of meat she was offered.

"No I'm full. Feed Spyro now. He's the one more hungry." Cynder said sharp. Orc hesitated before he began to feed Spyro.

Two hours earlier further south Markus has finished cleaning his wounds and made new inspired camouflage suit from grass he as gathered. He stood up slowly and where surprised how much of strength he has already recovered but his hands still trembled a bit but he didn't give it an another though on it.

"Sparx, Olen valmis. Vie minut Spyron luo" Markus said confident. Sparx snapped out from his daydreams.

"Finally... you sure are odd fellah I give you that. Creepy and odd..." Sparx stated before he turned around and began to lead Ranger towards where he suspected dragons where taken to, to the north-west.

They didn't have to travel long when they already found huge path only two hills away and which where used recently with large group. Markus studied prints carefully and noticed path where used only twice and one's leading to south where far more numerous, at least 4 times bigger in number that one's which led to the north. Knowing that dragons could not be captured without giving a fight he came conclusion he should head to north. Sparx buzzed around his head constantly speaking about they should hurry or just otherwise mocking him being slow. But none of this mattered to Markus as he didn't understand what he spoke,

They followed trails slowly and away from path to remain hidden as much as possible. They faced few small search parties here and there but ranger managed to evade them all with variable luck. Closest call was when orcs almost literally walked over him when he squeezed against the ground and pushed Sparx under him. Orcs couldn't tell the difference between his crude camouflage's grass and grass growing naturally around him in the dark. Markus hold his breath and heart pumped violently. Orcs got suspicious yes, sniffed the dark, moisture air but kept walking back into night. Sparx naturally whined about feeling like crushed under him but Markus just extended his arm towards anxious dragonfly and rose single finger telling that was enough and to stop the whining. Markus' body language where most time hidden but when he show them they where strong and left nothing unclear. All of this made Sparx a bit nervous at times but he didn't change his cocky attitude of his..

Markus finally climbed on the last hill separating him from the orcs' new camp he lowered himself to the level of growing grass and stared upon the small camp. His eyes where not really sharp u he could tell that there was a cage of sort of lying next to campfire and faint purple colour could be seen inside it. Markus turned his eyes on rest of the camp, studying it carefully to learn their numbers, where guards move and what they do. Ranger kept doing that for almost hour until Sparx got frustrated again.

"Hey creepy one! What you're doing? Are you going to help them or not? Or are you just chicken out?" Sparx said in mocking tone. Markus glanced on frustrated flying pest and sighed faintly before he began finally to approach camp ahead of him.


	19. Chapter 19: Who search for who?

Chapter 19 – Who search for who?

"Hey creepy one! What you're doing? Are you going to help them or not? Or are you just chicken out?" Sparx said in mocking tone. Markus glanced on frustrated flying pest and sighed faintly before he began finally to approach camp ahead of him.

Green hulks' camp have been hasty set up. Tens where placed rather chaotic way without any planning at all and strategic tents such as ones holding food and equipment where practically outside the whole camp but sneaking in one could still prove to be difficult, even if half of the orcs are gone and most of the remaining orcs are now at sleep. 'Foolish orcs... don't even have a slightness idea about tactics.' Markus thought for himself as he approached nearest tent while keeping himself down Ranger has memorised guards' posts and routes and determined best way to sneak in but he knew it is still going to be hard to infiltrate their camp unseen. He pushed himself against the soft wall of tent and signalled to Sparx that the way was clear. Sparx flew shifty next to him.

Markus peeked around the both corners of tent and pointed to next tent they have to hide behind before he began to crawl quietly towards it. Markus suspected that tent contains some food. Despite it is a rescue mission he needs to eat and knowing he ain't exactly in condition to start hunt or gather food for himself he decided to do what made orcs hate him at the first place; steal.

As he continued his crawl towards next tent one of the guards walked close by, not looking his direction but orc heard as tall grass sweep against Markus' suit he has camouflaged with grass. Markus saw orc to turn around slowly and Markus stopped, holding his every muscle motionless and hoping orc won't suspect his presence but orc just kept standing there, looking on his general direction. Markus' hand started to tremble a bit after a moment from static work keeping him just above ground but he can't lower himself on belly as movement might give him away. Seconds felt like minutes if not hours and sweat started to come on his forehead. Hands shake more violently every passing second and Markus had real difficulties to keep his breath steady and quiet, reminding him that his previous battle have taken it's toll

At the moment Markus where on edge to collapse on ground orc finally turned around and walked away. He lowered himself on ground to catch his breath. Sparx has been hiding behind previous tent whole time and where absolutely terrified that Ranger would be discovered and he sighed out loudly when orc left, sweeping sweat off his forehead as he did. Markus reached his destination and carefully raised the tent's fabric wall and ducked under it to inside. Luckily the tent indeed was the one of the food storages and not giving second thought he snagged few pears and dried bread and began to eat in instant but only being interrupted when he heard voices not far away which sounded familiar. Markus moved closer the cloth door and moved it a bit so he could see what was happening.

"Oww... my stomach... It hurts!" Spyro shout in agony. Markus thought Spyro has been indeed hurt but before he could do anything orc began to speak hasty

"Hold. I go get food. No tricks!" orc said in half panic and turned towards chow tent and walked towards it. Ranger' eyes widened slightly when he realized that the stupid orc was coming towards him. He swiftly closed the soft door and glanced around himself to find a way to make quick escape but the heavy steps came rapidly closer. Markus saw few barrels near wall and jumped behind them and in the same moment he ducked behind them the orc barged in.

"Where all meat?" Orc spoke for himself while tossing random vegetables, breads and even pieces of cheese over his shoulder while trying to find some meat. Green figure turned towards the very same barrels Markus where hiding. Orc took few quick steps and pulled barrel's heavy lid off. Ranger pulled his sword under his clothes carefully, preparing to take the orc out fast and quietly in case he was discovered. Only thing what kept him making surpriseattack was that he knew that if this particular orc would not return his post next to dragons others may come suspicious

"Here meat!" Orc grunted and tossed lid from his hand over the barrels. Lid hit Markus directly on his head and even all that thick and long hair of his it still hurt like hell and made him even see stars for a brief second before his eyes but Markus managed to remain silent, gritting his teeth. Luckily orc was too busy to notice odd sound when lid hit Ranger to his head. Orc picked up several pieces of meat before he ran out from tent Once door closed fully Markus hissed from pain and rubbed his head from where lid has hit his head and felt lump with his fingers. He climbed over barrels.

"Sparx... Sparx!" Markus whispered trough wall and lifted it from the bottom so Sparx could come in.

"Wow dude, I thought you where goner. You're one of kind sneaky creep I give you that. Just need to remember not to turn back on you." Sparx said first amazed and then formal cocky himself. He glanced around and noticed whole tent was in a mess.

"You did this?" Sparx asked rising his eyebrows and pointing food lying on ground. Markus took brief second to look at the mess and shook his head while pointing the door with his thumb, referring to the one who left not too long ago. Ranger picked up few apples and pears and continued where he was left.

"You must be kidding me." Sparx lowered his head and put his hand on his forehead and shook his head in disbelieve.

"Were not here to eat! WERE HERE TO RESCUE SOME DRAGONS!" Sparx shouted furiously.

"Shhh!" Markus sizzled with single finger moved before his lips and he listened has they been heard before he frown on Sparx..

"What? You know I am right!" Sparx continued like nothing wasn't happened and folded his arms on his chest. Markus sighed and filled his pockets with food and walked back to tent's wall and ducked under it like before and held it up so Sparx could come thought as well. Markus glanced around briefly to make sure way was clear to another tent he suspected hold something inside. He ducked and crawled towards it just like before but more carefully, making sure not to make too much noise while Sparx flew next to him. Orcs continued patrolling their random routes and one of them entered the same food-tent Ranger had visited few minutes ago.

"Dammit! Who left this place in such mess?!" Hungry orc cursed loudly behind Markus. Unaffected by this Ranger made to dark red tent and prepared to duck inside but as he began to lift the soft wall he heard noises inside, faint snoring to be exact. He carefully lowered the wall as it where. Clearly there had to be tent somewhere where weapons and armours would be held inside but if not careful enough he might find himself inside tent full of orcs. Shaking his head to get rid the idea being in such awkward position he probed his surroundings again. Looking where guards where and the dragons. Hardly noticeable smirk escaped off his face as he noticed the dragons being fed by the same orc he had encountered earlier and small lump on his head reminded him how lucky he really have been back there. Markus decided to get closer to dragons as he have to get to them eventually. Two tents created an ideal way to sneak closer as for unknown reason guards kept distance on them and orc feeding the dragons was back towards him.

Markus crawled behind blue tent and was about to investigate insides of it when he once again heard noises inside. Markus felt clod shiver on his back when he recognised who the voice belonged to. He knew owner of that voice far too well, Strongarm... Edgard the Strongarm, no wonder they keep ajar from here. It sounded like he was talking to someone but other voice was a bit off, almost distant like. Markus took control of his fear and continued to last tent separating him and dragons. When he made to last tent he pressed his ear against the tent to hear if anyone is inside of it. No voices could be heard and he crawled under the wall he lifted up from bottom for a second. Sparx stayed outside incase someone would walk in

Markus could not believe his eyes; shiny armours, helmets, shields, bucklers and numerous of all kind close combat weapons such as short, long and two-handed swords, knifes, daggers, polearms, axes, mazes and varoius of others and most of them has never been used. Orcs didn't use all of the equipment if there wasn't total war outside. These orcs was mere search party and there wasn't real reason to them to wear all the heavy equipment. What was more surprising there where few small bottles holding different colours of dye inside them for colouring purposes. He halted on his tracks as idea struck into his head, a stupid, a dangerous one but it could work for his favour. Markus took bottle holding green dye and poured some of it on his palm and rubbed some of it on his skin to see would it colour his skin to green and he smiled when it did. He poured some more and began to cover his face and other visible skin. Once he was done he tied his long hair to ponytail, removed the grass camouflage and took so many knifes he could under his clothes. And grabbed smallest chest plate he found and try on it. It was a bit too large but he didn't care. He dressed on thigh plates and smaller ones meant on crus. Ranger tighten leather belts and all armours sat on him firmly despite their large size. Markus moved his sword into holster already placed on his back. He couldn't but smile while examining himself in armours. Giving the finishing touch he grabbed red long cape and attached it on his shoulders. Markus searched storage with his eyes if he finds anything else he could use. There where set of different shields and bucklers and he took one shield randomly from the pile. This one had small golden cross on it. All what is left to finish his disguise is helmet what would hide his face much as possible. Unlucky enough ranger didn't find one he was searching for but perhaps darkness could hide his non-orcish face well enough to pull this small plant out.

Sparx barged in through door and his face went pale when he saw armoured figure standing right front of him.

"AAA-umff!" Sparx managed to yell before Markus grabbed his head inside his fist to silence him quickly.

"hmmmf! Mffhm!" Sparx effortlessly struggled to free himself.

"Rauhoitu. Se olen minä, Markus" Markus said emphasizing his name and slowly opened his fist.

"hmf! Air!" Sparx inhaled his lungs full with air once he could and couched afterwards.

"You scared my antennae off! And speaking about my antennae you almost snapped them!" Sparx spoke anxious while putting his antennae back straight and after that he took look on Markus again.

"What is all that stuff about o creepy one? And how you changed your skin's colour? You're not going to all out are you?" Sparx shot questions like they where coming from conveyor belt. Markus just rose his eyebrow and gave questioning look.

"oh forget it... Now what?" Sparx asked hands folded before his chest. Markus walked pass Sparx and straight out

"No waitwaitWAIT WAIT!" Sparx shouted after Markus but he had already left the tent.

Walking where a bit clumsy first but after few steps he adjusted his usual walk and it became far more promising. Few orcs stared him as he walked straight to camp-fire. It was, after all, very unusual one of them walking in full battle gears on middle of the night in relatively peaceful time but they didn't give it too much thought and continued what they where doing. Markus walked confident towards imprisoned dragons and the orc still feeding them.

Cynder noticed approaching orc in full gears with corner of her eyes and she feared the worst.

"Oh no." She whispered. Spyro stopped chewing and tried to see what she was seeing but couldn't. Orc noticed their sudden reactions and turned around to look what Cynder has seen but before his eyes adjusted to see clearly who or what it was loud smack could be heard and orc fell on ground unconscious. Markus dropped piece of wood he had grabbed near campfire and probed his surroundings quickly have someone seen his actions. No one has seen it, good. Markus dragged orc's body next to fire and positioned him like he has fallen into sleep. Spyro and Cynder where both shocked and confused what had just happened. Why this orc where acting like this? Or they thought it was an orc since they couldn't see him properly but could tell he had green skin.

"What are you up to? Come to finish us?" Cynder snarled at Disguised ranger as he came closer to examine their chains. He ran his hands along the chains and looked carefully many of the small locks. As he moved his head closer to see one of the locks better Spyro could see him properly now and he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Markus?" Spyro asked carefully, doubting his own eyes. Markus turned his head towards Spyro and nodded with faint grin before turning his attention back on lock.

"Markus! You're back!" Spyro said overwhelmed by new hope and Cynder where overjoyed as well before she remembered what he had done to Spyro not too long ago. You could still see the small scar on Spyro's throat where Ranger's bolt has hit him, nearly killing him on spot. Nevertheless she was happy Markus where there now helping them to escape. Ranger took knife and unwrapped two ironwires on it's hilt used to decorate and giving extra grip while wielding it, and pent them straight and began to picking lock.. wires rattled against lock's insides for a brief minute before promising sound could be heard and lock dropped open, releasing Spyro's head so he could turn his head freely now.

"Älä liiku." Markus expressed firmly when Spyro stretched his neck while picking another lock. Lock after another opened and ranger continued on lock holding Cynder up. Spyro began to move out the cage when Markus shifty turned around and held him on place. First Spyro was uncertain what Markus intended holding him on spot when he remembered being in middle of the orc's camp and the fact that orcs may come a bit suspicious if dragon what is meant to be held in cage is roaming around freely. Spyro nodded nervously to ranger who turned his attention back on Cynder's locks. When he was halfway of opening all the lock one of the orcs guarding and patrolling the camp grew suspicious when he noticed the orc supposed to guard captives sleeping next to campfire and another being low just next to the dragons with all those armours. Orc walked closer

"What you doing there?" Guard grunted to Markus while he walked just behind him. The guard glanced over the cage and his eyes widened when he realised what was going on. Purple dragon had been freed. Orc opened his mouth to sound alarm but no voice came through, only blood.. Markus has turned around and stabbed him on throat. Orc fell on his knees and pulled the knife out from his throat but once he did that he fell on ground dead. Markus turned quickly back on dragons and tried to open the locks as fast as possible. It is now just matter of time when someone else sees what has just happened and sounds the alarm. Locks rattled loudly while ranger picked the locks with iron wires. Last lock opened with clack and he removed it. Now both Spyro and Cynder where free.

"Thanks Markus! Without you no one knows what would happened to us." Spyro said while he stepped out from cage and Cynder just behind him. There where hundreds if not thousands of questions inside his head but he decided to store them for later use as he knew his questions would have been meaningless to ranger. Markus smiled to them before he took serious expression again on his face. Now dragons are free, only thing left is to leave in haste before someone sees what have happened. When Ranger stood back up and was about to turn around to take leave loud groan echoed somewhere in camp

"TRAITOR! ALARM! CYNDER HAVE ESCAPED!" One of the orcs guarding the camp yelled from bottom of his lungs. Trio standing on the middle of the camp knew exactly what they had to do. They took advance of the momentary chaos when remaining half of the orcs came outside their tents glancing around to see what is happening. Spyro and Cynder jumped into air while Markus ran back inside the armourytent. Sparx where still inside and he startled when Ranger almost collided with him, dodging him by mere inches.

"Aika lähteä!" Markus shouted before he made to other side of the tent, grabbed random sword and slashed huge tore on wall, creating not so inspired door and ran outside.

"He sure knows how to throw a party." Sparx said still surprised and snapped out moment before first orc ran inside the very same tent and grabbed weapons and armours on their own. Sparx just stared orcs when more and more came inside to get something longer-than-hand and every single one failed to notice Sparx buzzing middle of them all.

"Ok...I...think...I...make... my... leave... right... about... now..." Sparx trembled and his head where soaked with cold sweat. He backed slowly towards the new backdoor when suddenly all of the orcs got the same idea and rushed out from tent trough tore, pushing Sparx outside with them.

Edgard barged outside his tent only to see pure chaos. Half naked orcs running back and worth and no sings of escaped dragons anywhere. Faint voice emerged from small mirror he was holding whole time.

"Haha... looks like you are having small difficulties back there. Too bad for you." Mirror spoke half amused

"Shut up! I don't know how but I'm sure this is one of your doings!" Edgard shouted back at mirror.

"pff... I have more reasons to see her dead than roaming around like spinning boulder. I hope your orc's lack of discipline ain't a problem someone not-so-great as you. Coming to think of all this, I want that ape looking creature captured in two days. In other words, when I get there personally. If you fail I look forward seeing you being crushed by Gnasty himself."

"Hah like you are the one giving me orders! I take no orders from no-one else than chieftain!"

"chieftain wants that abomination of nature because I want. Now get back to the work!" Blurry figure shouted and disappeared moment afterwards.

Markus took advance of his disguise and dark night and blend in to the crowd. Since there was only one orc who have actually seen him this wasn't that difficult, although things could turn messy if the one would notice him again. He tagged along with small group hoping they would walk further away but how bad idea it was. Group walked directly front of Edgard who was shouting commands like madman, trying to create some order to the whole mess. Before he noticed the direction they where going they where almost practically standing on front of Edgard. leaving the small group would probably ruin his cover so the only change was keep with group and hope for the best

"You there! Change of plans! You two go and arrange search party at once! Take at least 10 orcs with you! You contact the scouts and tell them Cynder is once again free! And last of you two..." Edgard shouted commands with deep groan and where finally staring at Markus who felt terrified in front of him. If Edgard would give any closer look to him his cover would be blown away in a instant. Edgard paused for a second thinking he have seen something familiar behind Markus green face trough darkness but he thought he have just has seen this specific rather non-muscled orc once before.

"... You two go patrol the surrounding! If you see dragons come back and inform us at once. Do not engage them on your own, got it?" Edgard grunted and waited for response. Orc next to Ranger nodded and seeing this Markus repeated the gesture.

"Now go!" Edgard groaned and turned around to shout more orders to passing orcs. Orc next to ranger grapped him from throat and brought his face few inches away from Markus' and looked ranger very seriously and showed some disgust towards him.

"Even Edgard spoke to you, you take orders from me. Got it?" Orc grunted him with very deep and threatening voice. Markus swallowed and nodded slightly, not really knowing what he has been told but figured that much he should just play a little purblind and just follow him around until time would be right to escape.

Spyro and Cynder flew on night sky, circling around the orc encampment and scanning carefully orcs' movements and possibly spot out Markus if possible. Dark sky hid both dragons and especially Cynder due of her black scales even if they reflected some of the light what managed to reach her. They have seen Edgard shouting some commands on few groups of orcs and after that went on search by himself with handful of his own kind after having brief conversation with one of the orcs under his commands.

"Any luck?" Spyro asked when he caught up with Cynder.

"I've seen Sparx leaving the camp but finding Markus from there is nearly impossible." Cynder said frustrated from endless and yet futile search

"Markus wore red cape and most of those orcs don't wear cape at all." Spyro reminder her

"I know Spyro but its too dark, I see clearly where they go but I can't tell the colour of the capes few of them carry. It might be even possible he had left already. We should leave here before someone sees us."

"I just want to be sure. Come, one more spin and then we leave, If that is ok to you." Spyro said. Cynder sighed and nodded. They circled camp once more but didn't see what they where looking for.

"Spyro, this is useless. We been here for too long and we should leave here." Cynder said showing slight anxiousness in her voice, not because of Spyro but because she was becoming tired from fruitless scouring.

"Yeah you're right. Le--" Spyro said but his phrase where left unfinished as he thought he saw something.

"Spyro?" Cynder said with concerned voice.

"I think I saw something. I'll go check it out!" Spyro said before he dived down.

"Spyro wait!" Cynder shouted after him and followed him down. Spyro landed on ground and tall grass hid him within it. Spyro heard soft thud behind him and looked behind to see that Cynder had landed behind him.

"Spyro we really should go. It's not safe here!" Cynder tried to be persuasive but Spyro's mind was already set and there was no way to change his mind now.

"This will just take a second. Stay here." Spyro whispered before he walked into grass front of him.

"I have bad feeling about this. Just be careful Spyro!" Cynder whispered back. Spyro walked forward inside tall grass not really seeing front of him. Wind moved grass slowly, creating atmosphere which most weak-minded would keep frightening. He heard someone speaking with language he didn't understand yet he recognised the voice. Spyro moved towards sound to see if he would be right who it would be. Shortly after he came to more open area where grass where barely above his pawns and he saw thin orc standing before him. In matter of fact they almost collided with each other. Odd armoured figure stared at Spyro's eyes, almost like whoever it was knew Spyro was there. Creature looked almost like ape he have fought against many times before, but this one where far more slim, fragile yet looked more intelligent. It wore bright metal coloured platearmours, red long cape and large shield which had golden cross on it. Creature spoke again with odd language, drew sword from it's back and pointed it on Spyro's throat.

But before anything else happened Spyro's eyes widened when he realised who he was facing at.

"Markus?"


	20. Chapter 20: He is what?

Chapter 20 – He is what?

"Markus?" Spyro said half surprised and half in disbelieve. Markus hesitated first. He didn't recognize Spyro in all that hurry getting hidden and trough darkness in middle of long grass. And before he could even lower his sword something black with scales leaped on him from side. Even with all that armours he wore, air fled from his lungs and he gasped for air once he have been hit on the ground. Markus struggled to free himself from whatever hold him down but with little use. Pair of narrowed emerald green eyes stared right at his brown eyes and those green eyes hid fire of hatred behind them.

"I told you if you ever, never hurt Spyro again you're very... very dead..." Cynder spoke with deep and cold voice. Markus stopped struggling once he heard Cynder speaking and stared back first chocked then quickly regaining his determination tried to push Cynder off him but she still had him pinned down.

"Liiku! Meidän pitää paeta!" Markus shouted and tried to get up even harder but with his hands pressed on ground by Cynder all he really could do was raise his back from ground only few inches.

"We don't have time for this. Let him go, Cynder!" Spyro told to Cynder with strict voice. Cynder turned her eyes briefly on Spyro before she backed off of him with faint growl coming from her throat. Ranger picked himself up and got his sword from ground.

"Over here!!" Came shout suddenly behind them and trio turned around to see the very orc Markus has paired up with, now standing before them few meters away from them. Cynder still upset resent event opened her mouth and shot out barely visible dark mist which looked much like Spyro's normal flame breath and which shared same speed than Spyro's. Orc didn't have time to realise the upcoming when he already felt his breastplate being ripped apart from the force of her attack and once plate was gone intense pain engulfed in his head as the dark mist hit on his chest and yelled from intense pain before fell on ground lifeless and his eyes still gazing into emptiness. Heavy footsteps came quickly louder and from the menacing voice of them you could tell orcs where coming in with large numbers. Markus turned around with haste and began to run on opposite direction and pass the still angry Cynder and Spyro who was awed by Cynder's sudden demonstration of her power upon unlucky orc. Her shadow attacks has only thus far made only minor damage on her enemies as it's main purpose where to handicap her enemies instead of killing them instantly. Spyro shook his head and spread his wings in order to take off into sky.

"Cynder let's go! Markus has better changes to hide up if we distract them!" Spyro shouted before he flapped his large wings and lifted himself slowly into dark sky.

"He better hide up or I'll finish him off by myself." Cynder whispered for herself before he followed Spyro's leisure and went after him. Markus kept running low thought tall grass which normally would have barely grown on level of his stomach but keeping himself low while running in order to be unseen left him with troubles seeing forward by himself. Sounds around him where turning around, seemingly going after silhouettes of the dragons. Not really knowing where he was going he came on edge of the tall grass' patch and before he noticed this his head already collided against something metallic with loud bang and he fell backwards on his back. Seeing stars for a mere second he opened his eyes to see what he hit against his eyes widened up almost instantly from horror once he saw what or who it was. Huge orc staring down on him like he was one pathetic orc. One staring at him was no-one else than Edgard himself. Edgard opened his mouth to say something when voice behind him grunted.

"It's him! He is the one who killed the guard and set Cynder free!" one of the many orcs behind Edgard grunted and pointed Markus. Edgard turned his head back on Markus with slowly narrowing eyes. Ranger quickly stumbled back up. Edgard began drawing his huge sword from it's holster but stopped on his tracks on halfway. Normally he would have slain anyone shifty without any remorse but something kept bugging his mind There was something familiar about this odd orc standing before him, yet he could not tell why.

"I am good with faces of my subordinates yet you're not one of them and still I find your face somehow too familiar. What is your name traitor?" Edgard grunted anxiously and with lack of response from Markus his eyes narrowed even more from frustration and he drew his sword all the way out and lowered it's tip on the ground before him, challenging him on duel which surely would be leaved short-lived.

"No reply? You know how we do handle traitors around here? With quick death!" Edgard shouted and without visible warning he rose his sword to his side and swung it horizontally towards Markus. Ranger was quick to reply to his actions and ducked away from Edgard's huge sword's path and backed away from Edgard back towards the grass wield behind him. Not wanting to test his skills against such powerful foe He kept dodging his furious strikes to left and right. Other orcs accompanying Edgard stayed behind and laughed to Markus pathetic attempts keep furious leader at pay. Edgard leaped forward and slog his sword upwards. Markus brought his shield up to block it but power of the strike was far more that he could handle and although shield kept sword away from him he was sent flying few feet backwards and hitting on ground on his back.. Huge leader laughed at him and swung his death bringer down on him. Ranger rolled out of it's path which hit on ground with deep thud after barely missing it's target. Edgard rose his sword once again above his head when bright flameballs started to rain from sky around battling duo and explosions hid the voices of roars of pain of orcs who where burned alive and very last one of these fireballs hit Edgard dead-on on his breastplate and shockwave pushed him violently backwards but he managed to keep standing although he had to stumble backwards many steps to keep his balance. After he recovered from blast he gazed into sky to see silhouette of purple dragon turning around to take another fiery sweep over them. Spyro's scales reflected now rising sun's light brightly showing his amethyst scales on its full majesty against dim orange sky.

"Gimme that crossbow!" Edgard shouted and one orc threw familiar bow to him. Edgard grabbed it from air, hit the sword on ground upside down and aimed steadily on approaching dragon. Seeing Edgards intents Markus jumped up as fast he could and ran towards him to stop him. Edgard saw traitor on corner of his eyes and turned to aim Markus instead and he pressed the small trigger half second later. String pushed heavy bolt with sharp whamp and bolt whistled thought air. Ranger saw new threat but failed to dodge it in time and he felt piercing pain on his left thigh. Markus crashed on ground and held his wounded leg.

"Aaah! Saatana!" He yelled from pain. Edgard let slight laugh to escape from his mouth before he readied crossbow once again and turned to take aim again against approaching purple fury. Running out of options Markus grabbed his shield and threw it at the great orc. Just in the moment Edgard where about to press the trigger once again shield hit him to his hands and he released bolt accidentally and Spyro dodged the misguided bold with ease and as for response he released huge fireball he have kept emitting inside his mouth for a while now and send several smaller ones after the general direction of the first one before pulling up again. Losing his consecration Edgard snarled angrily towards Markus moment before huge fireball collided on ground mere inches away from his feet. He groaned from pain while he flew backwards several feet and once he hit the ground again several small firebombs hit the surroundings sending rest of the orcs near Edgard to their demise while some hit Edgard over and over again, pushing him harder against the ground and causing more injuries onto him.

Spyro landed softly next to Markus with satisfied grin before he saw that Ranger's leg where pierced by one of those strange arrows he was not familiar with, end of the bolt still poking out from the wound.

"Can you move?" Spyro asked. Markus placed his hand on Spyro's back to get some extrabalance and stumbled up setting his weight on his unharmed leg. Screeches of paint still echoed behind them where Cynder kept last of the Orcs brave enough to face her at pay with lethal force. Markus looked around himself still leaning on Spyro and saw camp in ruins, dead or badly injured orcs lying around and rest coward orcs fleeing the area. Markus sighed from relieve when he felt this hide and seek game he have kept doing for years now is finally coming to the end and he could leave relatively in peace.

"Come on, We should leave." Spyro stated and helped Markus to walk. After few steps they both heard familiar sound calling them.

"Spyroooo! Cyndeeeer! Creepy assassiiiin! Little help over here! Hellooooo?! Anyone there?!" Golden dragonfly yelled under one of the Orc corpses. Duo walked slowly pass the seemingly very dead Edgard who's armours where obliterated from Spyro's attacks and his chest where almost fully burned, smoke still rising from his badly pattered body. Markus hopped with one leg next to lifeless body.

"Tänä kuulunee minulle..." Markus spoke rather coldly to Edgard and took his crossbow left intact from heated battle and examined if few seconds before joining to Spyro who where trying to find out where Sparx have been shouting from.

"Sparx? Where are you my little glowing friend?" Spyro shouted and kept looking around himself.

Spyro finally! I'm over here! Under this smelly thing which stinks almost as bad as you do." Sparx shouted and acted like he was sick from the smell of the dead Or on top of him. Spyro chuckled a bit before he moved over Sparx who had his tail section under corpse's right leg and he kept tapping his small fingers on ground. Spyro laughed from mere sight of his situation.

"Ha ha ha... go ahead and laugh. What a real brother you are. Don't just stand there, help me!" Sparx said sarcastic.

Meanwhile the outskirts of the ruined city resting on base of the lone icerock mountain where orcs have now settled in. Small group followed thin figure wearing clothes made out of different animals belts and wore unknown creature's skull acting like helmet, yet it didn't hide his face at all. Holding staff what looked more like old tree branch than actual staff. Small group walked to nearby orc-made large stable of sort which didn't hold horses like one would think. Orcs stopped few meters away while slim orc kept walking inside the stable. Behind the cages where huge creatures whose eyes followed carefully lone orc walking pass them. He continued walking paying no attention on hungry eyes towards end of the small corridor where another orc, clearly working here.

"Is it ready?" Lone Orc said, half proudly, clearly expecting to be honoured.

"Yes sorcerer Fiendan, your warg is saddled." Stable'boy' offered rein of huge wolf looking creature what growled loudly, showing nothing else but pure hostility in it's voice and yet it obeyed everyone holding it's rein without a question. It smelled terrible and it's long grey and white fur where dirty but orcs didn't pay much of their thought to the smell. Fiendan's mood dropped once he saw he was not welcomed sight. He grabbed reins roughly and walked back outside warg following him obedient. When he made outside under morning sky he saw his companions climbing on their wargs' saddles. Few of them where clumsy doing so but they managed to get up without too much of hassling. Being more agile than common warrior or berserk orcs Fiendan jumped on his warg with ease.

"We will travel to South-West two days, over the sapphire river, mid-speed without stopping for a rest in the middle!" Fiendan shouted to others. Many of the Orcs looked each other and few cursed quietly.

"It is a time I pay a little visit to Edgard." Sorcerer whispered to himself moment before he whipped reins which made warg snarled under him and beginning to run.

"Onward!" He shouted and others followed him.

Group of four has now gathered round each other near the orc whose under Sparx where trapped in. Spyro was still amused from Sparx situation and tears where still in Cynder's eyes from the outburst when she saw Sparx before Spyro had him 'rescued'. Sparx where gaining his pride back and where his usual cocky himself. Markus was, in other hand, More like content than amused but even from him faint smile have escaped involuntarily. He have been able to remove bolt from his leg and made bleeding to stop. He have also removed unconformable orcis armours off him but was unable to clean green dye from his face.

"We should so away from here. This stink is getting to my nerves" Sparx said holding his nose.

"Yeah you're right Sparx." Spyro replied

"For once." Cynder whispered to Spyro and both chuckled again.

"what was that?" Sparx asked anxious

"Nothing." Both Spyro and Cynder said simultaneously

"Markus! We are leaving. Can you walk?" Spyro asked from Markus who was still trying to get rid of the green face of his. Markus stopped rubbing his face and stumbled back up. Now when bolt was taken out standing and walking where much less painful but he still limbed more or less. Dragons turned around and began to walk with very slow pace so Markus could keep on with them. Sparx turned around and flew back to Edgard's body

"So long sucker." Sparx said to Edgard and turned around to take a leave but stopped on tracks when strong inhaling breath came behind him. Sparx turned his now pale head back on Edgard Who was clearly everything else but dead. His dim green eyes shot open and he stumbled back up slowly. Breathing heavily and yet steadily

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Sparx yelled in terror when he flew back to the trio and hid himself Spyro who has now turned around to see what was going on like Cynder and Markus has. Everyone saw large, strong and injured Edgard standing back towards them, still breathing heavily.

"Hehehe... Hehahaha... HAHAHAHA!!!" Edgard laughed between every breath almost maniacally. He dropped his half obliterated chestplate and turned around to show his naked chest what was badly burned, wide grin with exposed fangs and his eyes. Burned in level of insanity and madness.

"HAHAHAHA!! You... You thought.... I was dead?! BWHAHAHA!!" Edgard laugh maniacally. Clearly he have lost all his sanity and he would do anything now. Trio prepared to fight against this berserk. Spyro and Cynder lowered their heads and spread their legs a bit for better stand while Markus took his crossbow and readied it and began to take aim. All three of them felt very nervous from the fact that Edgard was still actually alive and well and still very dangerous.

"Hahahehe... You know..." Edgard began to speak to trio and pointed them with his finger. "...you know... you have something I want... That thing of yours, That creature of yours, or should I say human?" Edgard spoke. Both Spyro and Cynder where surprised of his statement. Human? Markus is a human? What is that? Where is he from? Are there more? More and more questions flooded their minds but both dragons shook their heads to focus back on Edgard.

"Hehe... You mean you didn't know? A human yes. Last of his kind. In fact only one seen in ten of thousands of years! A thing that shouldn't exist and yet it stands before us! I give you two choices... Cynder, the serpent of the Dark master; You don't pass that human to me and I give you slow and painful death and take it over your ripped bodies, OR You'll pass that thing to me and I grant you QUICK DEATH!!" Edgard shouted from bottoms of his lungs which produced voice what could be felt in very bone. Edgard ran towards trio barehanded furiously. Something told to the dragons this fight would be hard even if Edgard where unarmed.

Markus shot his bolt towards Edgard and it hit him to shoulder but he didn't even stir from the hit and kept running towards them Like madman. Both Cynder and Spyro kicked the ground behind them and began to run towards approaching furious orc and leaped towards him with exposed talons. Edgard grunted and did uppercut to Spyro's chests. Air fled from Spyro and he was sent flying above and behind Edgard. Cynder who was slightly behind Spyro saw Spyro being hit losing herself to rage she dodged Edgards attempt to do same on her and she managed to wound his flank before momentum forced her to pass him. Surprisingly unaffected from the deep wound on his side made by three sharp talons he turned around to continue fight. Another whistle where heard and bolt struck him to his back. This time Edgard fell on one knee but got back up effortlessly to face Cynder who was now striking against him with various melee attacks. Both she and Edgard kept dodging and attacking each other fiercely. Spyro recovered from Edgards punch. ' No wonder he is called strongarm.' he thought for himself. His punch has caught him by surprise and it really hurt like hell even it was just a fist what hit him.

Cynder kept attacking Edgard with all her skills she have learned. She jumped just above ground and swept air front of her with sharp blade on end of her tail to hit Edgard on chest. Edgard instead grabbed her tail on middle of her strike and lunged her on ground before he tossed her on side. Before he could do anything else to her thought he felt another sharp pain on his back caused by yet another bolt fired upon him by ranger. Barely having enough time to recover from hit Spyro lunged on him with headput. Edgard fell backwards on ground and Spyro tried to use this to his advance but where kicked out middle of his leap on Edgard. Orc jumped back up only being hit back on ground by Cynder who has fired her windblast on him. She jumped on Edgard and tore his chest with sharp talons of her before she was forced to jump off to avoid his punch. Berserk shot back up with amazing speed and where exchanging attacks and doges with Cynder again. Spyro used this to his advance and shot strong earthbomb on him. Edgard stumbled to regain his balance but failed and fell on ground head first when Spyro fired another bomb on his back. Cynder emitted black cloud from her mouth and sent her shadowy attack on Edgard to paralyse him but watched confused when despite it was direct hit orc stood back up. Spyro leaped on Edgard's back and kept tearing his back finally kicking him to send him to Cynder who take over where Spyro left off, striking him with her sharp tail, creating long deep scar across his broad chest. Edgard roared from pain and stumbled backwards only to meet Spyro's flameocean coming from his mouth which engulfed him into it's fiery embrace. Edgard groaned from pain trying to wave his hands to get the fire off him. Once the flame died off Edgard fell on knees before falling all the way on ground. Spyro and Cynder kept staring Motionless body of Edgard's before they both sighed from relief and walked to each other.

"Are you okay?" Cynder asked from Spyro shoving slight concern of his well-being.

"Yeah it was nothing... you feel okay?"

"I'm fine." Cynder said and nuzzled Spyro.

"I'm fine too... heheHAHAHA! Came voice behind them. Both dragons turned around alarmed and their eyes shot wide as they saw Edgard standing right before them holding both his fists above him in order to deliver one strong strike of crushing power on them and there wasn't anything either of them could do before his attack would have been delivered. In a blink of the eye it was surprisingly Edgards turn to let his eyes go wide open. He groaned from pain as bolt has appeared on his throat. He tore the bolt off from the wound and blood poured wildly out from it. Edgard held his hands on the wound and well on his knees again, eyes showing great pain as he fell on ground fully. Spyro and Cynder stared Edgard chocked before Markus yelled in.

"Oletteko kunnossa?" Markus shouted holding one arm to amplify his voice next to his mouth while other still holding empty crossbow. Spyro and Cynder snapped out from their state.

"Lets go before he comes up with another surprise." Spyro said and Cynder nodded nervously and they both walked quickly to Markus.

"is it okay to come up now?" Sparx whispered under the Markus' cloth before he flew between the trio.

"Thanks Markus. We would have been done for if you wasn't there." Spyro thanked Ranger. Markus nodded slowly and felt suddenly very weak. Adrenaline ruining inside of him where now dying off and his previous wounds and long day and night where demanding now their toll. His bow slipped out from his grasp on ground.

"Markus?" Cynder asked when she noticed sudden change in him. Markus followed his crossbow when his limbs went limp. His field of vision went black before he fell unconscious.

"Oh great... now the all we need is more bad guys popping out from somewhere." Sparx said and as for reply they heard distant yells behind the hills.

"Ok... me and my big mouth..." Sparx finished his statement.

"Cynder, help me get him on my back!" Spyro said swiftly and without hesitation Cynder grabbed Markus from his shoulder with her mouth and dragged him on Spyro. It took a while to get him properly on Spyro.

"Sparx can you get his bow?" Spyro said.

"What? I am Super-Dragonfly now?" Sparx said with folded arms after he have given glance over crossbow lying on ground.

"Forget it, I'll get it." Cynder said rolling her eyes and snagged it in her mouth and they both walked quickly out from the camp area towards East. After they have walked over the distance several orcs who has previously fled the scene came back and surrounded their leader. Edgard opened his eyes.

"Go Cynder and run... Since soon... Soon we have... opened the vault of ancestors and we take... take what you have taken from us..." Edgard whispered before his mind drifted beyond the borders of unconsciousness.


	21. Chapter 21: To east we go

**Chapter 21 – To east we go**

"Go Cynder and run... Since soon... Soon we have... opened the vault of ancestors and we take... take what you have taken from us..." Edgard whispered before his mind drifted beyond the borders of unconsciousness. Orcs around his unconscious body argued for a while before they decided to carry his badly injured and burned body back into his temporal quarters.

Spyro kept walking with haste and Cynder kept on his pace close behind him, carrying crossbow on her mouth as she did. Ranger's body having longer limps than dragons, tips of his boots kept dragging on the ground and if that wasn't enough his limbs had also more movability to sides than theirs' and therefore his body kept slipping off Spyro's back, giving hard time to him even with his wings to keep unconscious body on place. Luckily his body didn't weight much more then Cynder's or his, so getting exhausted wasn't' going to be a problem, for a least not for now.

"you know what Spyro, his foots makes an excellent trail where we are going." Sparx said rather ironically.

"You have better idea?" Spyro replied ignoring his tone.

"You could carry him like you did not too long ago. Back at the river remember?"

"Last time didn't end too well, remember?"

"What other choices you have purple boy? It's not like he would protest about it, and evil she-dragon over there has her pawns... err... mouth full so I'm quite certain--" Sparx cocky statement where cut off as Cynder snarled and shot daggers from her eyes at him.

"Heh... well lets see the options we have when we have got some distance shall we?"

"Y-yeah... whatever..." Sparx stuttered under the pressure of Cynder's stare.

"Cynder?" Spyro turned his head to see her.

"Mhmh?" Cynder snapped out of her evil stare on Sparx and turned towards him.

"You sure you're allright? You took quite a hit when Edgard slammed you on ground." Spyro in troubled voice. Cynder stopped, which made Spyro and Sparx to stop as well and she dropped ranger's weapon to be able to speak clearly.

"Well it hurt but really, it was nothing Spyro. You on another pawn took direct hit from him, You're ok?"

"His punch actually got air outa me and my chest is still a bit sore where he hit me, but I've been thought worse."

"You know Spyro, you got me worried for a moment when you got punched. If something had happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do!" Cynder spoke becoming more worried with every word she said even nothing bad have happened.

"Cynder, don't worry. I'm fine. I..." Spyro spoke up to cheer her but instead she came to him and began nuzzling him. Being first a bit confused from her fast mood change he answered and nuzzled back which made her calm down.

"Cyn--" Spyro opened his mouth to say they should be keep going but Cynder kissed him, making him quiet in a instant. Spyro's eyes where wide for a brief second but he answered to the kiss as well. Sparx cleared his throat overloudly hoping that would make them to stop. Cynder broke the kiss and nuzzled Spyro's cheek more.

"Cynder... we really should keep going. There is no telling what orcs might do next." Spyro said while enjoying from her touch. Cynder sighed.

"You're right. We should keep on going." Cynder said a bit down and turned back to grab the crossbow again into her mouth. Spyro let her walk next to him before he began to walk as well. Dragons walked side by side and Spyro carefully nuzzled her neck which was rewarded by Cynder's happy sigh.

"Oh boy, this is going to be one looooong walk." Sparx said his head down, holding his hand on it while slightly shaking his head.

Trio kept walking keeping up the good pace while one carrying the fourth and unconscious one on his back. -they followed the huge, few days old path created by the very same orcs who has came after them over the river. Knowing orcs left this side of the river wouldn't be much of a trouble any more since their leader, Edgard is not in condition of doing anything any time soon or how they believed; dead and orcs left behind where few, so two young dragons where occasionally lost into each other's eyes while third and glowing one, a dragonfly, kept picking them up for his own enjoyment or just not wanting to dragons to be too close. Early morning has slowly turned to midday and morning moisture have created a thin fog which where already to begun to disappear. Grass where short and soft. A bit cold too as sun hasn't been warmed it up yet. Grassy, smoothly shaped hills went pass them as small forests surrounding few of them as they kept wandering between them while many wild animals kept staring the odd travellers. Deers, horses, squirrels, rabbits and many, many others. Few white soft clouds silently floated across the deep blue sky and small birds sung while they danced in the sky. This place where it perfect harmony and would have given good if not the best home to anyone willing to settle down. Only thing breaking the harmony where that violently created path and it's makers, the orcs themselves.

Not realising the time passing by travellers where in no time again that blue long river which blue colour rivalled the blue of the sky itself. Small waves reflected the sun's light brilliantly, making it look that on the sapphire river's water there where small diamonds floating everywhere. Small golden dragonfly, Sparx came more exited as he knew that dragons have to carry their unconscious companion over the river which would make the dragons less lost in eachother, for at least long as they where on another side of the river, of course.

"Cynder, you're ready?" Spyro asked from Cynder after he has laid Markus on ground next to riverbank. Cynder nodded after she took hold of his right arm.

"Be sure to be more gentle this time doomgirl, you did leave some nasty marks last time." Sparx said with his cocky voice again

"Hmph." Cynder replied bluntly and with that Spyro and Cynder took off into sky carrying Markus while they did. Flying proved to be much easier than last time since there was no no need to hurry and they had some 'practice' from last time but that didn't remove the occasional collisions of their wings in mid-flight. It didn't actually hurt when they hit eachother but sure it wasn't quite enjoyable either, but both just endured the annoying feeling when that happened. Feeling the cold air running across their scales and wings felt indescribable, wonderful to say the least. They haven't felt the pure enjoyment from just flying around aimlessly as they have been always in hurry or otherwise unable to. First the long fights against Malefor and his mindless minions just after they freed themselves from crystal, the escape, recovery and hiding, and now the orcs. However their wide smile what had developed while being over the wide river waded and both sighed loudly simultaneously as opposite shore came closer. They slowed down and landed carefully on small beach covered with sand. Dragons laid ranger on his back and Spyro began to examine this creature, a human like Edgard has called him once. He really haven't paid too much attention how he really looked as there had been no time for such 'luxuries'. It was hard to tell his age just sight of him because he haven't seen anything like him, his beige skin where smooth, soft and no doubt very vulnerable to harsh environments or any type in injuries like his multiple wounds already told. His face missed a snout what where new for him, every intelligenced being, apart from dragonflies had one or beak at least. Spyro chuckled a bit when his thoughts trailed on Sparx having a intelligence, or more like lack of it This one hoverer did not have either muzzle or beak, making his face look at least to say flat. Only what stood out from his face was his rather small nose.

"Cynder, Edgard said Markus is a human?" Spyro said without losing his concentration on wounded companion.

"Yes he did. You know what human is?" Cynder slowly walked beside him

"Not a clue." Spyro finally said after giving a small thought.

"He has some resemble with orcs when you think at it" Sparx said over Spyro's head.

"Heh... when you started to think?" Cynder answered with a smirk. Sparx where about to say something before he registered what she meant.

"Very funny doomgirl." Sparx answered back sharply.

"Can we think this sometime later? we need small rest from all that fighting." Spyro cut in

"I couldn't agree with you more but have to move on. We don't know are the orcs this side of the river alerted from battle wrong side of the river or how many of them are still on this side."

"you're right... help me to pick him up on my back." Spyro said. Cynder dragged Ranger from his necksleeve onto Spyro's back but stopped on place when large flock of birds set off nearby hill. Trio stared where from birds fled knowing something have scared them off. After the second or two Cynder finished her job and dragged Markus all the way on Spyro's back..

"Ok lets go." Spyro whispered. After few mere steps they took shout echoed from the hills.

"Halt!" Orcish voice shouted. Dragons gazed where the noise came from and what they saw where not what they wanted to see. Dozens, if not hundred of orcs have appeared on the same hills where birds had fled earlier.

"Not good, this is not good." Sparx started to sweat out.

"You think we can get them?" Cynder whispered

"Yes, but it is Markus I'm worried about. If one of them get pass of us he--" Spyro didn't finish his phrase when he noticed one of the orcs approaching alone from the large group. This one walked closer determined and he had his sword sheathed, telling the dragons he was most likely to come to say something. The orc stopped few steps away from them when he saw Cynder front of him bared her teeths, clearly telling she prepared for fight. They stood there doing nothing, waiting to other break the silence.

"What you want?" Spyro finally asked. Orc turned his head to Spyro before he opened his mouth to speak.

"I am Karith, son of Gerg. I am second in command of the forces under Edgards command and leader of this group. What I want is that creature resting on your back but I can see that is not going to happen without a good fight." Karith spoke calm.

"You get that right! Come a bit closer and this black she-dragon of doom will bite you leg off!" Sparx shouted waving his fist. Karith rose his head to look glowing dragonfly who turned pale in a mere second and flew behind Spyro.

"Tell me Cynder, are you the reason why we lost contact with Edgard?" Karith asked from Cynder. She simply nodded for reply.

"Much like I thought. I am under the order to seize that creature at all cost if I where to see it this side of the river but I'm not fool. I am not going to sacrifice my orcs on meaningless fight against you what we cannot win." Spyro was surprised by this sentence and Cynder lost her expression of hostility but remained still.

"What you mean?" Spyro asked.

"I meant every word what I just said purple dragon. I cannot ones under my command die for nothing. Way of a coward yes." Karith said and from look of his face, it really hurt his pride to say this.

"I am letting you go and we act like you never was here. Edgard will not approve this or does anyone else in higher position."

"You mean we can go?" Sparx asked not really believing what he has just heard. Spyro and Cynder where at least stunned from this. Karith's personality fought against what they have learned from orcs this far.

"Yes... You can... You must leave quickly. By doing this I risk my and my group's life even by coming to talk to you like this, not alone not putting a fight. If someone apart of us sees this my orcs are banished, maybe even going to be killed from betrayal."

"Umm... thanks..." Spyro answered still a bit staring. Cynder picked up the crossbow and duo started to walk away slowly and picking up the pace eventually while third flew.

"What just happened?" Sparx asked confused.

"I really don't know what made him doing that but let's not waste the opportunity." Spyro answered

"Thanks! You will make a great leader!" Spyro shouted back.

"Just pick up the pace before I am forced to change my mind!" Karith shouted back before he begun to walk back to his group. Once he got close enough he spoke out.

"Listen, what I did was violation of direct command from Edgard or himself and the prize of it is banishment from last remaining clan, if not life itself and this prize is paid from every one of us." Orcs around begun to speak among eatchother and some even snarled back at their leader.

"But! But I did it because we had no choice, I could not sent you into fight what we would not survive. We will pull this off IF we agree that this never happened. We never saw the creature. We never saw dragons. Do you all agree to remain silent what have happened?" Karith finished. Seconds turned to minutes but nothing happened. No-one said anything.

"I will remain silent." One orc said and stepped forth.

"As will I!" Another stepped out and soon one after another stepped forth or just nodded in agreement.

Few moments afterwards when Dragons where sure they where far enough not to be seen or heard they stopped for a moment.

"Ok... that was unexpected." Sparx said

"You think they will follow us?" Cynder asked after she dropped Ranger's weapon.

"I don't know but I think Karith spoke truth about letting us go."

"You know we can't rely on it. We should keep going." Cynder said and turned to pick up the bow again but frowned upon it.

"You know what? I hate carrying that thing in my mouth. It taste like... like...." Cynder spoke out.

"Wood?" Sparx suggested Cynder shot darts out from her eye towards Sparx but she knew he was right.

"If you don't want to carry it I can." Spyro said but Cynder shook her head in disagreement.

"No, that would not be fair. Sparx?" Cynder turned her head towards dragonfly

"What? Oh no... There is no way I can carry that thing. Its too heavy!" Sparx protested

"You could have some exercise to get some muscle into your tiny arms." She teased Sparx

"I can't even lift it off the ground!" Sparx shouted

"wait, I have an idea..." Sparx continued and gave faint smile what made Cynder feel uneasy.

Meanwhile, behind the Great desert. On now peaceful land where Dragon temple rested Guardian of ice, Cyril heard someone knocking on the thick door separating the interior of the temple and the outside world.

"Open up! It's me!" Voice shouted and door where knocked again. Cyril approached the door and it opened up slowly once he got close enough. Small group of four cheetahs stood there and one of them fore the familiar red robe and large bow of his rested on his back.

"Nice to see you Hunter." Cyril greeted

"Greetings Ice guardian." Hunter greeted and made small bow and other tree bowed as well.

"Come inside." Cyril said and begun to walk deeper into the temple. Hunter as his companions stepped inside and when the door shut behind them one of them turned out quickly to meet possible foe what of course wasn't there.

"Looks like some of you are still a bit edgy." Cyril spoke while walking front of another door.

"Well war against the dark master's shadow spawns where hard and difficult and some of us haven't fully recovered from stress yet." Hunter answered.

"I can't blame you, the war was long and very difficult. Even us... never mind." Cyril stopped front of second door what opened up moment afterwards and they stepped inside to greet the huge dragon statue middle of the room. Volteer noticed the door to open and greet the visitors with smile.

"Ah guests! We where expecting you Hunter but if I knew there would be more of you I would have arranged something to eat!" Volteer spoke so fast some of the cheetahs had difficulties to keep up with him

"Thank you Guardian of electricity but we have just eaten." Hunter replied trying to be polite.

"Oh don't be silly. There is no need of formalities and it is a bit shame. I could have made delicious, scrumptious, luscious, ambrosial, delightful..." Volteer once again babbled with such speed, while walking to next room holding pool of visions, what made visitors to stare eachother.

"does he speak always like that?" one cheetah asked from another who only shrugged back.

"Unfortunately yes... Follow me." Cyril answered and walked after yellow dragon.

They finally reached the room with pool of visions and greeted the earth guardian, Terrador. Ignitus hoverer where not with them.

"I see you have come back Hunter." Terrador spoke with his natural deep voice.

"Yes we have and we have some news too. Vilu, the maps please." Hunter said and Vilu took his backpack and grapped several paperscrolls from inside and gave them to Hunter. He unhooded his head to see better and opened the scrolls on floor to reveal map of dragon realms and few other distant lands and islands..

"Scouts reports that Islands around the dragon temple is relatively safe to move. Only few groups of apes here and here. Who posses no danger to us. In mainland on other pawn there is intense powerstrugle going on between groups of apes. Koveras tell you more." Hunter stopped

"Me and other Cheetahs who have scouted the area have come to the conclusion that now when dark master has no influence to control either the apes or shadow creatures, the apes have formed small groups... clans on other words and begun to fight against each other to gain more power. Largest clans what he have seen consist around 600 apes and they are very sensitive about their territories and there is often some level of violations of the 'borders' of their area which usually leads to small but brutal fights. Apes favours the forests but small groups are sometimes seen on grasswields " Koveras finished and Vilu begun to continue the report.

"The shadow creatures on other pawn are become like animals. Mostly loners, while some gather some level of group and one of them act as alpha creature. Lacking the intelligence they does not form bigger groups than 15 or 20 since larger the group is, then more usually there is fight over the position of groupleader. Faced alone they poses minor threat but if you meet pack of them better run than fight unless you know what you're doing. Apes have forced some of the shadow creatures outside the forests while unclaimed areas still are infested by them. But their number is diminishing slowly"

"So what you're saying they fighting against eachother and leaving us outside of this?" Cyril asked.

"Shortly, yes. In fact, they have made no serious actions against us, Attlawa, Manweresmalls, or any other races as far we know." Hunter said

"And what about Spyro and Cynder? You know anything about them?" Came voice from doorway leading to balcony. Group turned their heads to see Guardian of fire, Ignitus who had faint smile of hope. Group remained silent for a moment.

"There is no news about Spyro... or Cynder... I'm sorry." Hunter said softly, trying to make the impact of news less hurtful. It didn't really work and Ignitus' mood sank.

"Don't worry Ignitus. I didn't get to know them too long but far as I know them they're fine and If they are out somewhere we will find them. I promise you that." Hunter continued quickly. Ignitus just nodded and headed back outside. Volteer stood up and walked after him and leaved other's do discuss the reports.

"Ignitus." Volteer walked beside him while he walked to the end of the balcony. Ignitus didn't reply.

"Ignitus, please. You should stop hurting your own feelings like this. Hunter have promised to search young and I'm sure he fulfils that promise. Spyro is resourceful and strong young dragon and Cynder is sagacious dragoness who has spirit of a warrior inside her. Trust me when I say. They're alive. They're fine. Trying to find their way back to home."

"How you can be so sure Volteer?" Ignitus said trying to hold up his tears.

"Even if I have electric tongue like Cyril over there keeps telling me I can think clearly and my mind says they are fine. Just don't give up the hope just yet."

"Well that is a start." Ignitus said

"What you mean?" Volteer asked puzzled.

"You just admitted you have electric tongue." Faint smile escaped from his face.

"I did? Now I feel self-conscious."

"Embarrassed?" Ignitus guessed.

"I just said that." Volteer replied. Ignitus begun to chuckle what into Volteer soon joined.

"Can you promise one thing Volteer?" Ignitus said after a moment

"Anything Ignitus!"

"don't ever change. You the best fellow guardian and a friend I could never wish for." Ignitus said and hugged Volteer. Yellow dragon was surprised by this but he hugged back in a mere second.

"I won't." Volteer replied and turned his gaze into sky .

"Oh my. What a unanticipated turn of events." Volteer said not believing what he was seeing. Ignitus broke the hug and turned his head where Volteer where staring at and his jaw dropped open what he saw. Dragons... Many of them flying towards them. Bigger and smaller alike.

Back at the far west beyond the endless sand and off charts, unusual group of four travelled towards west. Spyro who carried Unconscious body of Markus, Sparx who kept sniggering and finally Cynder who was embarrassed, unhappy and becoming very angry

"I never understand how you managed to speak me into this." Cynder shook her head trying to keep her anger under control."

"Hehe... I never thought that would make you feel that way but this is all the better!" Sparx laughed. Spyro looked behind and saw Cynder carrying the crossbow on her tail. Tail going trough the hole created by string and the 'bow' part of the weapon.

In order to her keep weapon intact she had to keep her tail up so it would not fall on her tailblade and cut of the string or being dragged along the ground. Raising her tail too high on the other hand made it easily to fall on her tailbase, which felt say the least, very unconformable and it where hard to shook it back on the middle. If that wasn't enough she couldn't wave her tail side to side to balance her walk like she normally would or she might toss the crossbow off her tail, probably cutting the string in the process. Therefore her walking looked very awkward in Spyro's eyes. She walked almost if she is drunk. Trying to keep from laughing he turned his head ahead again but Cynder already noticed Spyro.

"What you're laughing at?" Cynder asked sharply.

"Nothing..." Spyro couldn't but to chuckle.

"Not again!" Cynder shouted when crossbow once again fell onto her tailbase and with that both Spyro and Sparx burst into laugh.

"You two are unbelievable!"

"Haha! Sorry Cynder I... Hehe... I can't help it." Spyro tried to calm down but with little success. Cynder shook herself violently trying to get the bow off the base of her tail but it firmly stood in place.

"Come on!" She said angrily while she shook herself more. Sparx had hard time of keep on flying as he laughed hard enough to make it almost hurt.

"Don't just stand there, take it off!" Cynder shouted trying to do everything in her disposal to get crossbow off her tale undamaged but nothing helped.

"TAKE IT OFF ME!!" She shouted from bottom of her lungs.

"Ok ok I'll take if off." Spyro finally turned around and took it into his mouth and pulled it carefully off her tail completely Cynder sighed from relief before she turned her murdering glance on Sparx. To the very root of her troubles she had for last hour. Sparx gathered himself up soon enough to tee Cynder trying to leap on him. Sparx barely avoided her jump and begun to fly away from her while she did not want to do anything else but catch the yellow pester and give him well earned payback.

"Come here you glowing bug!" Cynder shouted while running after him.

"Not going to happen!"

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

"I don't believe you!"

"I won't hurt you bad!"

"I still don't believe you!" They kept running back and forth on the grassy plains where hills are becoming more and more less dominant of the landscape. Old but otherwise beautiful forest could be seen and recognised barely few miles away from East and North. Spyro followed the two runners on the field with his eyes smiling even if he knew she would turn on him once she was thought with Sparx. He suddenly felt movement on his back and realised ranger where finally waking up.


	22. Chapter 22: Stars

Small note: Those who are willing to see and/or read the translations Markus has now spoken or know what the lyrics means you can check translations on my DeviantArt account and journal there deviantart (dot) com/journal/18080702/ and if you want you can also listen the song at youtube (dot) com/watch?v=QzXGdy8Et30

and plaah... enjoy the reading!

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Stars**

"I still don't believe you!" They kept running back and forth on the grassy plains where hills are becoming more and more less dominant of the landscape. Old but otherwise beautiful forest could be seen and recognised barely few miles away from East and North. Spyro followed the two runners on the field with his eyes and he smirked even if he knew she would turn on him once she was thought with Sparx. He suddenly felt movement on his back and realised ranger where finally waking up. Spyro carefully lowered himself and slid him off his back. Ranger turned on his back and murmured something Spyro could not catch up. After a while Markus heard scream nearby and his still dizzy head cleared in a instant and his eyes shot open. Spyro startled his sudden comeback and before he could even react Markus pulled himself up to sit and snagged one of his knifes and hold it up before him, ready to strike anything what might pose even the slightest threat. Ranger observed scene ahead of him and even he saw that Cynder where giving chase to Sparx and she lunged towards Sparx who barely dodged it with a another scream, his brains didn't register that at all. Finally recovered from shock Spyro swallowed small lump in his throat and opened his mouth to speak up

"Take it easy Markus." Spyro managed to say before ranger turned his head towards him swiftly and stared directly on him.

"There is nothing you should be afraid of. Markus, put that thing down" Spyro continued with soft voice. Markus hesitated first before he finally registered what was going around or more likely he was not in danger and he slowly lowered his knife before he hid it under his clothes.

"Cynder look! Your assassin is awake!" Sparx shouted to Cynder. Cynder stopped briefly to look over Spyro and saw Ranger up sitting as well. She shook her head,

"Don't change the subject!" Cynder shouted back to Sparx and tried to jump over him barely missing him again.

"Stay still!" She yelled before cat-and-mouse run started over again. Spyro smiled for amusement while Markus where totally lost what was going on.

"Don't mind them, Cynder is just having fun." Spyro said nodding his head towards two runners

"You're hurt. You should take it easy for a moment before you try anything or you might just hurt yourself" He said with more serious tune but kept his voice friendly. Markus just looked on him puzzled but before long he relaxed a bit and begun to tend his wounds once again. Spyro just sit there next to him and observed how Cynder had fun giving Sparx his run, or better put, fly of his life. Before long his mind drifted and focused only on her and forget everything else. Her past was dark indeed and she was supposed to be his sworn enemy but now she was freed from Malefor's influence and how gorgeous young dragoness she turned out to be after she gained her real body back. Her scales where pure black and yet they reflected the sunlight almost perfectly. Glimmering like small black diamonds and still they where soft and warm to touch and he loved every single scale on her. Her eyes... so... beautiful, so deep. Those emerald green eyes what he prized the most. And her smile, he would give a star from sky to only see her smile. Spyro kept staring her blindly and didn't notice she where actually walking back to him with satisfied smirk. Cynder walked all the way just front of him before Spyro came back to his senses. He saw that she was up to something and why she looked so odd? And where is...

"Ehh... Cynder, where is Sparx?" Spyro asked with slight concern. Did she actually hurt him? Spyro felt even more uneasy when she just gave even bigger smile and yet tried to keep her mouth shut. Spyro soon realised what she had and is doing.

"You didn't..." Spyro managed to say before loud murmur where heard from her mouth and that voice wasn't hers.

"Get me out of here! My wings are getting molty! Cynder!! PLEASE!!!" Sparx hysterical voice yelled out. Cynder opened her mouth and split small dragonfly out to ground between two dragons covered with her saliva. Seeing this with corner of his eyes Markus chuckled but Spyro outdid him, he literally burst into laugh. Sparx looked upon himself with disgust.

"Eww... That was horrible. Now I smell almost bad as you do." Sparx said and pointed Cynder. Cynder reached her head closer Sparx and turned her head so that only one of her eyes could see him.

"Oh really now, want me to fix that?" Cynder said and gave devilish smile. Sparx went pale in an instant and crawled away from her as fast he could towards Spyro, who now where laughing more than ever, however Cynder didn't n into laugh since she had something else in her mind, Markus noticed this but Spyro where totally obvious to notice this.. It took few good minutes before he managed to calm down and once he did Cynder spoke out.

"It's good that you have fun since now it's your turn to be punished." Cynder said with low voice what yet had small tint of excitement in it. Spyro barely had time to turn his attention on her before she already leapt on him and her talons already tickling him from where she knew they would do their worst; just under his forelegs, the armpits. Spyro unable to support himself with she on top of him and all the tickling, He collapsed on ground on his side what only made things worse, he was totally exposed now to her quick pawns and she didn't hesitate to take the advantage she now had. Spyro laughed hysterically and kept kicking the air instinctively in futile attempt to free himself from the torture.

"HehahaHAHA!! Please!! HAHAhehe! Wha-- HAHA! What I ever did to you?! HAHAHAHA!" Spyro managed to yelp between all the laugher and without breath. Markus hesitated should he interfere anyhow but came into conclusion from this one he should stay out, besides they seem to have great time... or at least one of them.

"Nothing much, just laughed at me when I needed some help that's all. I just enjoy this too much." Cynder said with wide smirk while she continued her vengeful act.

"Cy-- HahahaHEheha!! Please!! HAHAHAhaHA! I-- I can't breath! HEHEhaHAHA!" Spyro kicked Cynder to her abdomen by accident with such strength that she lost her breath and where forced to take few steps backward. She gasped for air but where unable to breath out. She stared blindly at ground front of her chocked and her mouth slightly open. Spyro where alerted to situation but not before Markus has already got up and ran behind her. He placed her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her just under her forelegs and squeezed, forcing the bad air out. Cynder fought against his grip subconsciously by trying inhale instead but ranger kept his grip firmly and squeezed harder despite his scarred arm kept complaining by aching badly.

"What you're doing!? Stop that!" Spyro shouted and where about to push him away but Markus shot serious glance over him, telling him that he should let him do what he's doing. Spyro hesitated, his very nature irrationally demanded to protect her at all cost and yet he didn't know what to do. After a brief second Markus relaxed his arms and allowed her to inhale before he pressed on his grip again and this time pushing bad air out was easier. Second time his hands relaxed and third time he squeezed again before completely letting her to breathe on her own. He released her and stepped off her. Cynder breathed hard and deep still in in some level of chock and Spyro rushed next to her.

"Cynder! Are you okay?" Spyro asked filled by concern and lowered one of his wings over her to comfort her.

"I... I think I am...." Cynder said after she had calmed down a bit.

"Sorry Cynder. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me." Spyro said feeling deep guilt that he had kicked her in the first place.

"hm... olkaa varovaisempia seuraavalla kerralla..." Ranger said with his normal, semi-emotionless voice. Cynder quickly picked up what exactly had happened and remembered that it was him, not Spyro who actually helped her. Unable to comprehend this she dashed to other side of Spyro and used him as a shield of sort to cover herself from his small eyes.

"Get him away from me..." She whispered. She felt a bit violated being touched by someone she didn't exactly trust. This creature has almost killed Spyro twice before her very eyes and those images still haunted her. Spyro sighed and covered her again with his wing and walked with her a bit further away, looking back to Markus and showing that he was grateful for his help. They walked few meters before they sat down and Cynder lowered her had on Spyro's shoulder.

"You're okay?" Spyro finally said, breaking the silence. Cynder nodded against his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be so hostile towards him, he actually helped you when I could not. If there is someone you wish to blame that would be me Since it was me who kicked you."

"Spyro... I've seen you near death twice because of him and both times I thought you where gone. Why you're so calm and why you're so friendly to him?" Cynder inquired. Spyro remained quiet for a moment.

"Well... The dreams or visions or whatever they where told that he is important."

"Dreams is hardly a reason for anything Spyro. Up till now he hasn't been nothing else but a problem to us."

"Maybe so but he didn't abandon us when we needed help did he? He can't be that bad." Spyro said. They both heard loud snap behind them and they looked behind to see that Markus has cut down young tree and where now cutting smaller branches off it with his knife while Sparx observed his doings kept pestering him with some random comments.

"Well perhaps you're right... I... I just don't trust him. I don't know why but I just don't."

"If you don't trust him then trust me. I'm sure that he is a good guy." Spyro tried to reassure her. Cynder just sighed.

"I wish it could be that easy Spyro but it isn't"

"I'm not asking you to change this instant but give him a change, He helped you after all."

"Okay... In one condition." Smile crept on her face.

"Ok... what that would be?" Spyro asked inquisitively.

"I can continue where I left off!" Cynder shouted and pushed him over, this time making sure his leg weren't directed towards her. Spyro didn't have time to get up again not alone to run away from her before she had her pawns all over him already.

Markus raised his head to see that black dragoness felt better and in fact she where having fun again. Faint smile escaped his face before he turned his attention back on his thick stick he where now carving and removing branches while he did.

"Pff... Evil she-dragon is so on to it again... Does she ever grow up? No wait... I've seen her big already... hrrr..." Sparx shuttered. One of the wooden swarf that kept building up under Ranger's work hit Sparx to his back.

"Ow! Careful! What you're doing anyway huh?" Sparx shouted sharp but Markus paid no attention on him and actually sliced shiftily again causing another chip to fly and hit him.

"Ok... you're turning dangerous and you dont want to become hostile towards me because... because... I have this!" Sparx picked up one small branch and mimicked ranger's style when he wielded a sword. Poking and swinging his wooden stick towards him and shouting loud HA! and TAKE THAT! here and there but Markus still didn't paid any attention on him. Becoming frustrated he became more daring and came even closer to Markus and making even faster moves.

"You know... I could become quite good swords-dragonfly!" He said proudly to himself and kept making attacks his imaginary enemy front of him. He then spun around and lunged his stick, driving it through his invisible opponent but he actually hit Markus to his arm by accident and as almost for reply Markus stood up, holing his 'slightly' larger stick of his own and smiled for his own work. Sparx on another hand took this that he was turned upon him and he dropped his pathetic branch and flew away from him, covering his head as he fled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sparx yelled in panic. What ranger have actually done wasn't a stick but rather a staff to help himself so he could walk on his wounded leg. Of course he could walk without it but with this he didn't have to stumble so much. Cynder joyful moment got interrupted when yellow dragonfly hit her to her side and dropped on ground flat. Surprised by this she forgot to tickle her victim and Spyro took the moment of change given to him and jumped up and took few quick steps before he stumbled on his own feet and fell on ground again still chuckling a bit. Cynder just quickly glanced over Sparx, Spyro and Sparx again.

"Sparx?" She said.

"Help me! That hairless assassin has turned upon me! " Spark said at took cover behind her. Cynder turned her head to see this assassin of his and saw Ranger walking slowly back and forth with his new staff and he looked generally happy.

"Ooh... he looks scary." Cynder said ironically while turning her head towards small dragonfly. Sparx just folded his arms unamused.

"Who looks scary?" Spyro said getting up and walking next to her carefully, still being uncertain if he where still in 'danger' and left few good feets between him and her in case coast wasn't clear just yet

"The one with large stick not far enough! I swear he where about to hit me with that stick!" Spark pointed towards Markus who where now watching back at them with faint smile.

"Why he would try and hit you?" Spyro asked inquisitively

"Because... I hit him..." Sparx finally admitted.

"You hit him?" Cynder asked surprised and chuckled and Spyro quickly followed her example.

"That's right... laugh for now. He is going to punch me with that thing eventually." Sparx sighed

"hehe... perhaps, perhaps not... ahem.... Now that it looks like he can walk on his own we should keep going. Come on Cynder." Spyro said and nodded towards the ranger who patiently waited where he stood and began to walk to him. Sparx crossed his arm again and frowned.

"I'm not going anywhere near him. Who knows what devious plans he have planned for my head."

"You better do or I'll use my plans to get you beg you would face him instead of me." Cynder smirked behind him.

"Oh and what pla--GWAH!" Sparx startled and backed away when Cynder hold her mouth open and snap her teeth together just mere inch away from him.

"ok. fine geez. If he does something to me I come and haunt you." Sparx argued. Cynder took step closer and snapped her jaws together again. Sparx spun around and flew to Spyro for cover. Cynder sniggered before she took a pace and caught up with them.

Group of four travelled slowly towards east and leaving the sun that crept in sky slowly to opposite direction behind them. Grass begun to grow shorter again as they approached the ancient forest that seemed to spread further than they could actually see and wind breezed lazily over them Spyro glanced behind him few times to see if they are followed but other than few wild animals he couldn't see anything, expect for the hills they have now left behind far behind and those many snow tipped mountains up north of the hills. None of the four had broken the silence in few hours as all of them felt there wasn't much to say anyway but despite the silence hours seemed to pass without them noticing it at all and they found themselves from edge of the forest. Up close it seemed very old. Evergreen trees rose high above the sky and their moss-covered trunks where thicker than none of them has ever seen before, several feet in diameter. Forest cast thick shadows under their roots and ground where covered with moist moss and the very air felt heavy. Unlike from far away up close forest seemed less inviting, almost repulsive and group felt they where being watched.

Dragons decided to call off for the day and both of them flew away to find something them to eat and after an hour or two they returned with rabbit and few pigeons and after trying to convince Markus that they had already ate he thanked in his own odd language and begun to eat what they had brought. Spyro was first uncertain what they should do with the watch but he nor Cynder didn't have to think long as ranger spoke something and pointed himself and then own eyes with two fingers and finally pointed the landscape they had left behind. Spyro tried to change his mind by mimicking his sings and taking first watch but ranger where firm and kept telling he will guard the restingplace and with that the stumbled up with support of his staff and walked good distance away and sat upon rock, hidden behind few pushes. Spyro turned his head towards Cynder and asked for advice but she just shrugged back and said that if ranger really wanted to take first watch then there was little they can do about it. Cynder laid herself on ground and Spyro took his place next to her so they could keep eachother warm over the night. After sharing goodnight kisses and listening Sparx gagging while they did, they curled around eachother and drifted to sleep. Sky begun slowly turning to orange, red then purple and finally black and stars begun to fill up the sky after another and soon it where filled by countless of them. Night animals begun to woke up and curiously observed the invaders that had now appeared to edge of the forest but they leaved the dragons to sleep peacefully.

"Hey wake up!" Someone whispered to Spyro's ear. He just grunted in his sleep and took more comfortable position.

"Come on you purple freak, wake up!" Came the voice again and Spyro felt someone pulling him from his horn. He took deep yawn before he lazily opened his eyes to see his glowing brother looking directly into his eyes.

"Sparx? Nmhhm... What is it Sparx?" Spyro said before he took another yawn.

"Good, you're awake. I thought it would take an army of screeching apes to wake you up. Come on, you should see this!" Sparx said

"See what? And Whatabout Cynder?" Spyro said regretting already he had to wake up in the first place.

"Well do whatever you want with her but--"

"Too late, I'm awake already" Cynder interrupted and opened her eyes slowly.

"Great... well... you should see this quickly! Come on! Hop hop!" Sparx tried to get them to move. Spyro stretched his limbs and Cynder did likewise and they followed Sparx as he lead them back to grassland. They didn't travel long before Sparx stopped and hold his hand up.

"What is going on Sparx? What we should see?" Spyro said rather unexcited

"This better to be good or I'll have dragonflies for breakfast.." Cynder said irritated

"Shhh! Listen." Sparx said sharply. Dragons rose their heads higher to hear anything unusual but other than crickets and lone owl they didn't hear anything and all.

"I can't hear an..." Spyro got quiet again when he heard faint humming not too far away. He looked Cynder who looked back at him same time and he saw that he wasn't the only one who have heard that. They carefully crept closer the voice and pushed the vegetation apart to see Ranger sitting and leaning to his staff and he kept gazing the stars on clear horizon. And he hummed quietly and begun to sing with whispering voice but slowly more brave. His voice got rasping when he tried to sing at higher pinch and he lost his voice few times as well but he sung anyway. He sung from his hearth and is voice where gloomy and even if they didn't understand a word he sung the song touched them. Dragons felt the sadness that swept thought them and all three felt sorrow that ranger was in. Cynder walked up next to Spyro and sat down and Spyro saw that she had tear in on her cheek. He nuzzled the tear away and both listened his song.

_Täällä Pohjantähden alla, korkeimmalla kukkulalla  
Katson kauas kaukaisuuteen, tulet uniin uudestaan.  
Täällä Pohjantähden alla, taivas täyttyy purppuralla  
siitä suojakseni peiton minä itselleni saan._

_Ja alla Pohjantähden minä tulen, minä lähden  
Ja vain Pohjantähden nähden itken vuokses kyyneleen._

_Täällä Pohjantähden alla, murheita on laulajalla,  
täällä kuu kumoittava on myös alakuloinen.  
Täällä Pohjantähden alla, hiipii sieluun asti halla,  
ja tunteet tappamalla, rikki repii sydämen._

_Ja alla Pohjantähden minä tulen, minä lähden  
Ja vain Pohjantähden nähden itken vuokses kyyneleen._

_Täällä Pohjantähden alla, korkeimmalla kukkulalla  
Katson kauas kaukaisuuteen, tulet uniin uudestaan.  
Täällä Pohjantähden alla, taivas täyttyy purppuralla  
siitä suojakseni peiton minä itselleni saan._

_Ja alla Pohjantähden minä tulen, minä lähden  
Ja vain Pohjantähden nähden itken vuokses kyyneleen._

_Ja alla Pohjantähden minä tulen, minä lähden  
Ja vain Pohjantähden nähden itken vuokses kyyneleen. _

Markus lowered his head down and begun humming again. Feeling strong urge to comfort him Cynder got up slowly and walk to him and sat next to him while Spyro took place next to her. Ranger turned his head to see his companions while still humming the melody of the previous song and both dragons saw his face; even through darkness of the night you could see that his face has turned red and it was wet; he have been crying. Continuing humming and without bothering to sweep his tears away he slowly nodded to two dragons. Spyro and Cynder replied to his nod with their own before Markus gazed upon the stars again. Cynder buried her head on her chosen one's shoulder and purple dragon covered her with wing, lowered his head over hers and held her close to him and both closed their eyes. They heard faint song starting over again and young dragoness covered purple dragon like he have her and couple held eachother even closer. They felt sadness what his song radiated as their own and felt like they have lost something, something important, something dear, something they loved from their hearth. Tears slowly fled from their eyes and ran along their nuzzles.

Song finally ended and he remained silent. He whispered something to emptiness and slowly stood up and cleaned tears from his face and turned around back to their resting place and begun to walk towards it, leaving the dragons to comfort eachother. Spyro opened his eye and rose his head a bit.

"Cynder, you feel okay?" He whispered She sniffed.

"Yeah I'm fine. You?" She whispered backstabber

"I'll manage. You should go get some sleep. I take from here."

"Not yet Spyro... not just yet..." She said quietly, pulling him closer.

"Not just yet." He answered and laid his head down on his black dragoness'. They stayed there for several minutes before Cynder felt strong enough to break the embrace.

"Good night my emerald." Spyro said softly and they shared long deep kiss.

"Good night my purple hero. See you at tomorrow. I love you." She said and gave quick peak to him before she went back to rest.

"I love you too." Spyro said after her. Spyro stretched again and sat down. He heard familiar buzz coming closer. Spyro turned his head towards the familiar noise and he saw what he didn't exactly expected to see. He was wiping away some tears of his own.

"Sparx, have you been crying?" Spyro inquired

"Me? No, of course not... I just... just..." Sparx tried to control himself but new tear came to his eye and he lost it. He took off and darted to him and hugged Spyro from his neck.

"It's so sad!" Sparx cried out loud. Being a bit surprised first he hugged his smaller brother carefully with his pawn with faint smile.

"There now Sparx, It's okay. Its okay." Spyro said and raised his head to gaze the sleeping nature that opened before his eyes. His mind drifted to rangers and to his song of his. 'Why he singed? He have lost something no doubt but what? What is his story? Why he is here?' His mind where occupied with these thoughts until he remembered Sparx again. He looked down to his pawn and saw that he had fallen to sleep against his chest. He gingerly lowered his pawn and he curled his tail and laid him middle of it. Sparx mumbled something but he didn't catch what he said but it made him smile nevertheless. He turned his head back to horizon. 'It would be helpful If there would be any real way to talk with him. At least that way we might finally get know him and learn about his past. The sooner he learns, the better.'

"It's up to us to teach him our language." Spyro whispered to himself as he kept his watch and listened his brother's faint snore.


End file.
